“You’re talking about an ICC trophy but Virat Kohli hasn’t even won an IPL yet” – Suresh Raina

“You’re talking about an ICC trophy but Virat Kohli hasn’t even won an IPL yet” – Suresh Raina

Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina

Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has opened up on Virat Kohli’s captaincy for the national side. The southpaw backed Kohli for his achievements as skipper of Team India at the international level. However, Raina reckoned that the 32-year-old might need more time to get into his groove as India’s captain.

The Delhi cricketer took over as the national side’s captain of the Test squad back in December 2014. On the other hand, Kohli was appointed as India’s limited-overs skipper in 2017. He is also the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

However, Kohli hasn’t been able to lift even a single IPL title or any ICC trophy. During his ongoing captaincy stint, India lost the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan and the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand. Recently, the Asian Giants lost the World Test Championship (WTC) final as well against the Kiwis.

YouTube video

“I think he has been the No. 1 captain. His record proves that he has achieved a lot. I think he is the No. 1 batsman in the world. You’re talking about an ICC trophy but he hasn’t even won an IPL yet. I feel that he needs to be given some time.

“There are 2-3 World Cups taking place one after the other – two T20 World Cups and then the 50-over World Cup. It’s not easy to reach the final – sometimes you miss out on a few things,” Raina was quoted as saying to News24 Sports.

“India are no chokers”

India won Champions Trophy 2013
India’s last ICC Title came during Champions Trophy 2013

Several social media users have called Virat Kohli and side “chokers” whenever they are unable to cross the finishing line in any ICC tournament. However, Raina asserted that India have won various titles in the past and hence, they don’t deserve to be given derogatory names.

“See, we are not chokers, because we already have the 1983 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup the then 50-over World Cup in 2011. We need to understand that players are training hard. With three World Cups approaching, I don’t think anyone will call them chokers,” Raina added.

Kohli’s next multi-nation tournament will be the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE.

Also Read | T20 World Cup: Brad Hogg picks India’s playing XI, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to open

Also Read | “If MS Dhoni doesn’t play the IPL next year, I will also not play”- Suresh Raina