Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has some bold suggestions for India’s stylish batsman Virat Kohli. The 33-year-old Indian cricketer recently stepped down from the position of T20I captain after India’s exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup in UAE. Shahid Afridi feels that Virat should give up on his captaincy duties if he wants to flourish as a batsman.
Afridi’s comments came during an interview on Pakistan TV channel Samaa, where he praised the BCCI for making Rohit Sharma the next T20I skipper of India. He said::
“I think he has been a wonderful force for Indian cricket but I think it would be best if he decided to retire as captain in all formats now,”
“I have played with Rohit for a year and he is an outstanding player with a top mentality. His biggest asset is he can stay relaxed where required and show aggression when it is needed the most,”
Shahid Afridi also highlighted Rohit’s achievements as the skipper of Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, claiming that the Indian opener can be a good leader. He said:
“He is a top level player with terrific shot selection and he has the mentality to be a good leader of the players,”
Talking about Kohli’s decision to step down from the captaincy of the shortest format of the game, Afridi said that the Indian skipper should quit captaincy and should only focus on his batting now. He said:
“…I think Virat should step down as captain and just enjoy his remaining cricket which I think aplenty. He is a top batsman and he can play freely without any other pressures on his mind. He will enjoy his cricket,”