Virat Kohli’s aggression made headlines more than the Australian victory in Perth that levelled the Test series 1-1, and now former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir is weighing in on the raging debate.
Is the Indian skipper going too far with his on-field confrontations? Should there be a line drawn somewhere? Gambhir, having had his share of on-field controversies, said that while aggression is not always bad, there needs to be a limit considering the responsibility Virat Kohli has as the Indian captain.
“I’ve always believed that aggression is fine. I think sledging is fine and aggression is fine till the time you do it within the rules of the game, till the time you don’t cross the limit and you don’t get personal. Because when you are captaining the country, you are a role model for the entire country, you are the ambassador for the country.”Gautam Gambhir
Despite playing under Anil Kumble’s captaincy for only five-odd matches, Gambhir said he considers the spin legend the best leader he’s played under, even attributing his own success as a captain to the stalwart.
“Anil Kumble wasn’t just a great captain but also a great leader. I have played under a lot of captains throughout my career but if I have to pick someone who’s a leader, not just a captain, it will be Anil Kumble. A lot of my captaincy skills come from him. I have learned so much from him. Whatever leadership skills I have, I think he’s been my biggest inspiration.”Gautam Gambhir
Gambhir told The Quint that he considers Anil Kumble’s forced resignation from the post of India’s coach last year the darkest moment in Indian cricket history.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli is believed to have orchestrated the sequence of events that led to Anil Kumble’s replacement by India’s coach Ravi Shastri. CoA member Diana Edulji revealed, last week, that Kohli sent text messages to the board’s CEO Rahul Johri asking for Kumble’s removal.
“It was probably the darkest phase in Indian cricket. If 15 people are not happy with one person, obviously it is time for him to go, but if one person is not happy with a certain individual, you have to sort out your differences because ultimately he’s the coach of the entire 15-man squad, not just one player. There are 130 crore people who are looking up to the Indian team as well, so I am sure you can leave your ego behind because you have a far bigger responsibility to deal with when you represent the nation.”Gautam Gambhir
Catch Gautam Gambhir’s exclusive interview on Virat Kohli to learn more about his friendship with MS Dhoni and his future plans, on The Quint.
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