Virat Kohli speaks about the biggest lesson he has learnt as a captain

What’s the story?

Indian captain Virat Kohli is in the midst of an extended purple patch both with the bat and as a captain. However, the man believes that he is still learning and each day is a new experience for him.

He admitted that this home season has been a learning experience for him and all through the different series he has only become more aware of his team and his own different traits and that one of the biggest positives for him going into the Australian series is that he has now learnt to be more patient.

“You know, sometimes I stand on the field and think the wicket is not falling, you literally cannot do anything as a captain. You just have to accept the game is going on, probably look to be more consistent with the ball and the fields you set. Earlier, I would be a bit relentless with fields but now, I understand, when a pair is going for runs, I immediately go for in-out fields, no point giving them 4-5 boundaries,” Kohli said during the presser after the win against Bangladesh on Monday.

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The details:

The Indian captain was very candid when he said that the job of a captain is not to merely set the fields and that his role is to keep his team energised and focused at all times, especially when the things are not going according to plans.

Also, he had no qualms in admitting that he has progressed as a captain as earlier he would get frustrated quite quickly and that he would always look to get things moving without recognising the moments and identifying different facets of the game.

The Delhi lad recounted the match against West Indies in Kingston in Jamaica where he got flustered too quickly and to some extent lost the plot. However, he was quick to point out that he has only learnt from all the previous experiences and that he has become calmer.

In case you didn’t know...

India have enjoyed a stellar run in the home season and under the captaincy of Virat Kohli have remained unbeaten for 19 consecutive matches, which makes it the fifth-best streak in Test history. West Indies still top this list as they 27 Tests without defeat from 1982 to 1984.

They will now face a 4-match Test series against Australia and considering their dominant run in Test matches go into the series as hot favourites.

What's next?

In many ways, these statements could well be a warning signal to the Australians. The Steve Smith-led side would look to get under the skin of Kohli owing to his temperamental characteristics, but the calmer version of the Indian captain would not be riled too soon and this could augur well for the hosts.

Sportskeeda’s Take

There is little doubt that Virat Kohli has grown both as a batsman and as a captain and he has now become a seasoned campaigner which makes the upcoming series against Australia a must watch.