Virat Kohli is one of the most emotional captains I have seen, says Ian Chappell
Australian legend Ian Chappell has lavished praise on India’s Virat Kohli as he claimed the latter wears his heart on a sleeve as soon as he steps onto the pitch. Chappell further compared the case of Windies’ current skipper Jason Holder who was instrumental in the home series win against England.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been in terrific form for quite some years now. The 30-year-old batsman from Delhi recently led India to a 4-1 series win in New Zealand away from home. Although Kohli was not part of the squad in the last two games against the Kiwis, he was on the field for
Former Australia captain and one of the greats of the game Ian Chappell lavished praise on Kohli in his recent column for Mid-Day. Chappell claimed that the Delhi-born cricketer wears his heart on a sleeve and is one of the most passionate players in the sport at the moment.
"Watching India gradually assert superiority over Australia it became clear that the tourists had bought into Kohli's passionate pursuit of victory. Each moment of success was celebrated with vigour until finally, they were able to frolic around the Sydney Cricket Ground as a team, triumphantly holding aloft the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,' Chappell wrote in Cricinfo.
"Kohli is as emotional on the field as any captain I've seen. This can be detrimental as often a team's performance tends to fluctuate with the captain's emotions. However, in Kohli's case, the team has adjusted to the emotional rollercoaster ride and they certainly didn't lack any fighting spirit when the going became tough in Australia. This was a classic case of the captain having a clear vision for success and the team buying into the concept. Even personnel changes made no difference to the team's unity of purpose. Holder has had it much tougher as a captain, acquiring the job well before he was ready and inheriting a team that was sub-standard against the established Test sides," Chappell wrote in his column.
Meanwhile, the Australian legend went on to heap praise on current Windies’ captain Jason Holder who guided his side to an impressive Test series win against England on home soil.
“Holder's case is a classic example of why captains should never be judged solely on wins and losses. The captain of an under-staffed team can make the right moves but in the end, his side just lacks the ability to finish off a superior opponent. The objective of a captain leading an ordinary side is to make that team better. This type of captain often keeps his battling team in the contest longer than their limited ability suggests is possible. Arjuna Ranatunga regularly achieved this feat with an underdog Sri Lankan Test side.
“The captain of a successful side can chalk up plenty of victories but often it's purely down to the dominance of his team or the inferior capabilities of the opposition. Captains who are heavily reliant on their team's outstanding skill are often shown up when the contest against a strong opponent becomes tight,” Chappell added.