Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan reckoned that former India captain Virat Kohli will continue to be the leader in the team despite not being the captain of the team.
Last month, Virat Kohli left his fans shocked and heartbroken after he stepped down from the position of Test captain. The decision came a day after India suffered a 1-2 series defeat against South Africa in the three-match Test series. Last year, Kohli stepped down from T20I captaincy before he was sacked as ODI captain.
Recently, during the ODI series against South Africa, where KL Rahul led the Indian team, Virat Kohli played as a non-captain for the first time in 7 years. Now he will be seen playing under Rohit Sharma in the upcoming ODI and T20I series against the West Indies at home.
Speaking to The Hindu, Irfan Pathan talked about Virat Kohli‘s role in the Indian cricket team now. Irfan feels that Virat will be seen helping the new captain – Rohit Sharma do the right thing. He said:
“He is not the captain, but as long as he is in the team, he is a leader. He will help the new captain to do the right thing”,
Further, Irfan Pathan also lavished praises on Virat Kohli for his captaincy and for taking the team’s fitness to another level. While he hailed Virat’s energy on-field, he also claimed that Rohit Sharma will bring calmness. He said:
“He sent out the right messages and he took the team’s fitness to another level. Going forward, I am sure he will help out others, especially Rohit Sharma. Every captain contributes in a unique fashion. Kohli had his energy, Rohit will give you calmness”
Meanwhile, upcoming India vs West Indies series at home will be Rohit Sharma’s first assignment as Team India’s full-time limited-overs skipper.
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