Virat Kohli, India's star cricketer and captain, has stated that he was seen as a "failed captain" for India because he has not won any ICC trophies during his leadership. Kohli, who is India's most successful Test captain, has led the team to 40 victories, including retaining the top-ranked position in the rankings for 42 months. However, Kohli has not been able to win a global trophy as an Indian skipper. Despite becoming the runners-up in the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2021 World Test Championship final and reaching the semifinals of the 2019 ODI World Cup, Kohli's leadership did not take India to the last four stages in the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup.
Also Read: Not Harmanpreet Or Mandhana, But THIS Indian Cricketer Shortlisted For Women's T20 WC 2023's Player Of The Tournament Awards
Virat Kohli - I am not mad at my trophy cabinet. There are many people who've not won even a single odi wc till date but I have won one pic.twitter.com/tOFOT1Npkz
— leishaa _ (@katyxkohli17) February 25, 2023
"Look, I never judged myself from that point of view. What we ended up achieving as a team and as a cultural change for me will always be a matter of pride. A tournament happens for a certain period of time, but a culture happens over a long period of time. For that, you need consistency, for that you need more character than just winning tournaments," said Kohli in the latest episode of the RCB Podcast.
"I have won a World Cup (2011) as a player, and a Champions Trophy (2013) as a player. I have been part of a team that has won five Test maces. If you look at it from that point of view, there have been people who have never won the World Cup. I am always grateful for what I have."
Kohli believes that winning tournaments is crucial but also suggests that it's not the only thing that defines a successful captain. He mentioned that he captained in the Champions Trophy 2017, the 2019 World Cup, and the Test Championship 2021, so after three ICC tournaments, he was already under scrutiny for not being able to secure any global trophy. Despite this, Kohli doesn't judge himself from that point of view and rather focuses on the cultural change that the team has undergone and the consistency it has achieved under his leadership.
"I was lucky enough to be part of the team (in 2011), to be honest. And what led to my selection was also amazing. I had a run of great scores and I ended up being in the team. I never expected it to happen. When things are meant to be, they are meant to be. There were people in the team, such as Sachin Tendulkar - who was playing his sixth World Cup. And I was able to be a part of the team the first time, and be a part of the winning side."
"If I had to look at what's gone wrong in my career, but I look at what's gone right and I am grateful for that. I am not mad for my trophy cabinet being full. To be, that has always been a by-product of how you conduct yourself, the kind of discipline you have, and how you are striving towards excellence on a daily basis, and I feel I have been very honest about that aspect of the game," he concluded.
According to Kohli, a tournament happens for a certain period, but a culture takes a long time to build, and for that, you need more character than just winning tournaments. Kohli also expressed his gratitude for winning numerous accomplishments as a player and focuses on looking at what went right instead of what went wrong in his playing career. He mentioned that he was part of the team that won the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013, and he was also part of the team that won five Test maces.
Kohli believes that the by-product of how you conduct yourself, the kind of discipline you have, and how you are striving towards excellence on a daily basis are what leads to success, and he feels he has been honest about that aspect of the game. Despite not having won any ICC trophies as a captain, Kohli's passion for cricket and his approach to the game have earned him respect and admiration from his teammates and cricket fans worldwide.
