India's stand-in captain Virat Kohli is a cool man. Despite the obvious pressure before the Asia Cup begins this week, he is looking forward to leading the team.
The legendary Kapil Dev on Friday backed India to win the Asia Cup but stressed on collective efforts taking precedence over individual brilliance ahead of the high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Dubai.
'There is no question on the value that he brings to the side. But the management and board need to discuss how to use him...'
Ravindra Jadeja and Mahendra Singh Dhoni infused life in the match. However, with Dhoni run out during the final moments of the match, India fell short of the target and was bundled out for 221 in 49.3 overs.
Elated after India's decimation of Sri Lanka in the just-concluded One-Day Internationals, stand-in skipper Virat Kohli said the biggest takeaway from the hurriedly-arranged series has been the positive and aggressive attitude that his team displayed all through.
As India marches toward the Asia Cup final, one thing is crystal clear -- Abhishek Sharma isn't just participating in this tournament; he's redefining it.
The short turnaround time from the high of winning a controversy-marred Asia Cup notwithstanding, Shubman Gill's India will be outright favourites against a struggling and under-strength West Indies when the teams face-off on a green-top in the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
On Friday, Jitesh Sharma and Krunal Pandya joined their teammates in paying tribute to the fans who never made it home.
The Indian captain also went past the former Australian captain for most Test centuries as skipper.
Yuvraj then made a remarkable recovery to fight his way back into the Indian team and also scored a hundred against England in an ODI, but after a quiet outing in the Champions Trophy in 2017, he was ignored and decided to retire from the game in 2019.
Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah was effusive in his praise for Virat Kohli's performance.
The India skipper will be eyeing the great Don Bradman's 88-year-old record for most runs by a captain in a Test series.
The Indian captain insists his side will have to keep winning consistently for the next seven to eight years to leave a mark on the world stage.
Former West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has come out in support of Virat Kohli, who has been struggling for runs in recent times, saying the Indian batter is still the "best player in the world". Gayle said that Kohli's current form is just a "patch" and that the Indian captain will "pick himself up" and come back stronger.
Virat Kohli, struggling for form, will be playing in Delhi's last league game against Railways at the Kotla from January 30.
Virat Kohli's refusal to make changes in his batting to overcome a weakness outside the off-stump has seen his average drop from the 50s to 48.13, says former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar.
'I wanted people to know me for who I am, because a lot of times, Ashwin's picking up a wicket and Virat Kohli is all over the place.'
'He's just jumping about, and people very often tend to believe that Ashwin's the one that's absolutely serious and Virat's the one that's having all the fun.'
The former South African pacer said Ganguly will get to know more about his role once he joins the team and meets the players.
And on the occasion of Father's Day on Sunday, movie star and Kohli's wife Anushka Sharma dropped a cute post on her Facebook page.
Why did SKY give Bangladesh's fielding coach a hug?
'You are talking about legends like Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid and Virat. Rohit does not fit in there.'
In their last three ICC limited-overs tournaments, India have lost only one out of 24 matches, with the defeat coming against Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting says he has not seen a "better player" than Virat Kohli in ODIs, and backed the Indian batting star to go past the legendary Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-getter in the 50-overs' format.
Gill will try to prove a point with aggressive cricket in Asia Cup, says Irfan Pathan
Shubman Gill was inspirational both as a batter and skipper, as he led from the front with four hundreds amassing 754 runs in the five-match Test series in England.
India captain Virat Kohli rejected criticism of the pitch for the first Test against South Africa in Mohali and said it was 'errors in shot selection' that brought about wickets for spinners rather than the pitch playing tricks, a view his rival captain Hashim Amla also shared.
Chhetri and Kohli share a special and endearing relationship, bonded by their extraordinary levels of fitness and love for their nation and respective sports.
India captain Shubman Gill surpassed Rahul Dravid's record for most runs by an Indian batter in a Test series in England.
Virat Kohli's career was hanging by a thread after a disappointing showing with the bat in Australia.
Virat Kohli sent the shutterbugs into a clicking frenzy as he received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award
Virat Kohli has been named in Delhi's 22-member provisional squad for their next Ranji Trophy game against Saurashtra in Rajkot but doubts remain about his participation after it came to light that he is nursing a niggle.
India's new Test captain Shubman Gill will drop down one spot in the order to take Virat Kohli's old position at number four
Nathan Lyon donates bats signed by Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah to support cricketers with disability
The spotlight will be on Test captain Virat Kohli as India 'A' go into the second and final unofficial Test against Australia A, starting in Chennai on Wednesday, looking to secure a win after drawing the first match last week.
Handed the reins of a depleted Indian side in his maiden stint as Test captain, the 24-year-old has been tasked with breaking a 17-year drought without the experience of Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli by his side.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli hailed his players for showing character in the thrilling five-wicket win over formidable Chennai Super Kings which kept their hopes alive of making it to the play-offs in the Indian Premier League.
Shubman Gill had a phenomenal Test series against England, leading a young Indian side in transition to a 2-2 draw and earning the Player of the Series award.
While the whole batting unit faltered, the spotlight fell firmly on seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whose lean patches in recent times have become a matter of concern.
Emotions often get the better of his side when facing arch-rivals India, a flaw former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif believes has cost them crucial matches in recent years.
Rishabh Pant on Wednesday overtook his superstar India teammate Virat Kohli to reach the sixth spot in the ICC Test rankings for batters.
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