Australian legend Ian Chappell revealed Virat Kohli’s biggest achievement as a captain in Test cricket. He didn’t point out any series or a match, but named a player whose development was due to Virat’s backing.
The 33-year old, who resigned from Test captaincy after a series defeat in South Africa, is the fourth successful skipper in the history of red-ball cricket. Virat won the most Tests in SENA and other overseas countries as India’s leader.
In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell wrote that Kohli played an important part in instilling a love for the traditional format of the game. He further wrote that Kohli inspired his men to go for victories in the longest format of the game.
“Kohli always backed Test cricket and made his players to fall in love with the format. There is no doubt that he pushed his men hard but they enjoyed competing and wanted to win matches,” he wrote.
Chappell further highlighted the development of Rishabh Pant. “Kohli was successful but his biggest achievement was Rishabh Pant’s development as a batter and wicket-keeper. His support for Pant proved to be a master stroke,” he added.
Under Virat’s captaincy, the left-handed batter scored 1444 runs in 24 matches at an average of 38 with four centuries. Three of his Test hundreds have come away from home – against England in 2018, Australia in 2019 and South Africa in 2022.