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Cricket Players'I remember Dada quoting once...': Venkatesh recalls Ganguly's words, says Kohli 'knows how to carry the team'
The 33-year-old Kohli recently reached the 100th Test landmark in Mohali when India took on Sri Lanka. He will be seen playing under Faf du Plessis in the upcoming IPL edition.
India has a tricky task in selecting the perfect team combination for this year's T20 World Cup in Australia. There is no set formula for choosing the ideal eleven for the T20 showpiece event. But given the fact that Rahul Dravid has plenty of talent at his disposal, the team management would be scratching its head over the right template. (Also Read | Kohli doffs his hat to MS Dhoni as India legend steps down from CSK's captaincy, posts heart-warming pic)
The recent home T20I series saw young players raise their hand for a spot in the World Cup-bound contingent and Venkatesh Iyer seemed to be the perfect fit. Skipper Rohit Sharma also heaped praise on the Kolkata Knight Riders player, who brings in all-round skills to the table.
Venkatesh stepped into the international arena the T20I series against New Zealand after the T20 World Cup, which was a forgettable tournament for the Indian team. Indian cricket has also witnessed a major overhaul since the group-stage exit from the tournament. Virat Kohli isn't leading the team in any format with Rohit appointed as full-time leader in a drastic change to the set-up.
On the transition in leadership bunch, Venkatesh has underlined Kohli's experience as a captain and recalled a famous quote from current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. “I remember Dada (Sourav Ganguly) quoting once 'to be a leader you don't necessarily have to be holding a position'. A leader is someone who irrespective of his position is able to create an environment where everyone is at parity,” Venkatesh told the Times of India.
"Virat bhai has got huge huge experience. He is a leader. He knows how to carry the team. We have seen on the TV screens how these two - Rohit and Virat - guide youngsters, how they discuss and plan things and take India to wins. It is really amazing to have both players in the dressing room," he added.
Earlier, Kohli had triggered a storm in Indian cricket by publicly contradicting Ganguly's statements about him. During his pre-departure press conference ahead of the tour of South Africa, Kohli said that he was never asked to stay on as T20 skipper when he made his intentions clear on stepping down from the role. This was in complete contrast to Ganguly's statement that Kohli had been requested to not quit the position.
The 33-year-old Kohli recently reached the 100th Test landmark in Mohali when India took on Sri Lanka. He became the twelfth Indian cricketer to have achieved the milestone. Kohli, who had also relinquished RCB captaincy last year, will be seen playing under Faf du Plessis in the upcoming IPL edition, beginning March 26.
