Indian skipper Virat Kohli is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. The right-hander has registered 27 Test hundreds, and 43 ODI hundreds.
While he has many personal records and milestones to his name, the cricketer, Kohli has been unable to win an ICC trophy as captain as well has not been able to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore to an IPL Trophy.
Speaking in the latest episode of Star Sports’ Cricket Connected, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir said that Kohli still has a lot to achieve.
When asked if there are still a few milestones left for the 31-year-old, Gambhir said: “Lots, in a team sport.”
He added: “You can keep scoring your own runs. There are people like Brian Lara who’s got so many runs. People like Jacques Kallis who have won nothing, Virat Kohli, at the moment, have won nothing to be honest, as a leader.”
“He has a lot to achieve. He can keep scoring his own runs. But for me, in a team sport, till the time you don’t win those big trophies, you will never be considered... probably you will never fulfill your entire career,” Gambhir further said.
Gambhir added that Kohli needs to realise that all his players are different.
“He’s different from the rest. Probably a lot of other people might not have the same ability that Virat Kohli has. As a leader, the most important quality which he needs to have is start taking players as they are. Don’t compare them, or don’t compare their intensity to his intensity. Because every individual is different,” Gambhir said.
“Every individual has its pros and cons, his own strength and weaknesses. That is what makes a team sport really, really fascinating. You got to gel everyone together and try to bring the best out of everyone else.
“Mohammed Shami can never be Jasprit Bumrah. Or Ishant Sharma can never be Jasprit Bumrah. Or KL Rahul can never be Virat Kohli. For that matter, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, all these guys probably can never match to Virat Kohli’s intensity, and talent as well,” he added.
“But how to get the best out of them, and figuring out those situations will help him, and prepare him the best for the world titles, and that is only when they can actually win it,” the former India batsman further said.
