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The course of the Indian cricket has changed drastically in recent times as November 8 witnessed the end of Virat Kohli’s reign as captain of the T20I side. Many have criticised Kohli’s captaincy in the limited-overs format and his inability to win major trophies, but former West Indies skipper Clive Llyod has lauded Kohli for his successful run as captain.
Speaking to News 9, the former West Indies captain said, “The point is he has done extremely well for India over the years. He probably didn’t win a World Cup but that doesn’t make him a bad captain. He has been a tremendous servant for the Indian team and will continue to do so for years to come. People have been talking about his batting and I am sure will witness the best of Kohli with the bat.”
”Well, they didn’t play at their best in the first two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. They have done exceedingly well in ODIs, T20Is, and Test cricket. I am disappointed with India not making the semis. Had India been here in the semi-finals, this place would have been packed and you know how the atmosphere is inside the stadium when the Indian team is playing a knockout match,” he further added.
Kohli’s performance index shouldn’t be determined by his inability to deliver trophies. He has earned enough credit in his bank and has a proven track record. In his four year stint the 33-year-old had only one shot at glory which ended in a catastrophic manner. His ability to deliver in other formats is something that should be taken into consideration, especially in the Test format.
The former World Cup-winner also praised Kohli’s performance against various teams across the globe. His record in overseas tournament speaks volume and can only get better. Winning Test series down under, currently leading England 2-1 in an unfinished Test series, guiding India to the finals of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final are some of his remarkable achievements.
According to the 77-year-old, succeeding a captain like MS Dhoni was always going to be a tough task. Kohli can still achieve more things as a captain and can lead India to the glory in less than two years time when India host the 50-over World Cup in 2023.
India host New Zealand
India are all set to host New Zealand for three T20Is and two Test matches. The first match of the T20I series will be played on November 17, the second on November 19, and the third on November 21. The Test series will start from November 25 with the first Test match from November 25 to November 29 and the second and last from December 3 to December 7. India will be playing a home series after a long gap. Their last home series was against England in March.
India vs New Zealand match schedule
1st T20 Jaipur November 17
2nd T20 Ranchi November 19
3rd T20 Kolkata November 21
1st Test Kanpur November 25 - November 29
2nd Test Mumbai December 03 - December 07
Rohit will also be captaining in the first Test while Kohli will be back in action from the second Test
