New Delhi: India thumped hosts South Africa 5-1 in the recently concluded ODI series. With exceptional individual performance and quality leadership skills, skipper Virat Kohli gathered praises from all quarters. One the other hand, stand-in skipper Aiden Markram who was handed the mantle after regular skipper Faf du Plisis was ruled out of the tournament due to injury, faced criticism for the unprecedented loss. But captain Virat praised the Proteas skipper for the character shown by him on the field. Virat believes that the 23-year-old he has got all the requisite qualities to become a good leader and South Africa should persist with young talent.
“He’s (Markram) obviously captained his province and he has captained at the junior level as well. I would really suggest people show patience with him because he is potentially your next leader. He is a top-class batsman as well. It’s a joy to watch him play and he has definitely got the talent to dominate as a batsman. He’s got the right mindset to dominate as a leader too. He just needs some time. All I can say is he’s on the right track," Kohli was all praise for the former U-19 World Cup winning South African captain.
7-match old Markram was asked to captain the national side in his third international match of his career. In the 5 match as captain Markram conceded loss in four encounters while managing a lone win in the rain curtailed ODI in Johannesburg. Virat in the post match presser explained that he was able to empathize with the young lad as he was at one stage in similar position.
“It is not easy and I understand it. Especially, when the results are not going your way. I have been very impressed with his batting and as a captain as well he is really composed from what I saw in the field. It is not easy when things are not going your way but he is someone who doesn’t seem to lose his cool, which I think is a very good thing and a very positive sign,” said Virat.