New Delhi: Virat Kohli said Saturday that though the Test captaincy surprised him, he is better prepared for the shorter versions of the game as he was aware that he would be getting the chance to lead the country in all the three formats of the game sooner or later.
“Test captaincy, I think I was told a day before the Adelaide Test that MS (Dhoni) is not going to play the game and I was going to lead. It was a surprise as I did not expect it. In my head I was still finding my feet in Test cricket as a batsman. But the responsibility worked beautifully for me,” Kohli was quoted as saying by ‘bcci.tv’.
“It (captaincy in Tests) took a bit of time to process and understand how it is done. Yes I would say the ODI and T20 captaincy has been something that I have tried to learn along the lines a lot more. At the same time I feel a lot more confident taking it up,” he added.
Kohli also informed that tips from Dhoni regarding captaincy has helped. “I have been preparing in my own head, MS has been speaking to me about strategies, about how situations need to be approached. Because I think he also understood it is very important to guide me, teach me, knowing the legacy he has set up. It is very important for the person who is coming to take it forward and not be in a state of confusion,” informed Kohli.
Showering rich praise on Dhoni, under whom he flourished as a cricketer, Kohli said: “I am thankful to MS as well for giving me this opportunity. I have learnt a lot from him, in terms of leadership, in terms of conducting myself how to take the team together.”
Press Trust of India
