'You're Talking About ICC Trophy But He Hasn't Even Won An IPL Yet': Suresh Raina On Virat Kohli's Captaincy

Suresh Raina pointed out that Virat Kohli-led team India faced defeat in the WTC final, not due to conditions but because the Indian batsmen failed to perform.

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Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli has been facing severe criticism for his captaincy ever since India's defeat against New Zealand in the World Test Championship Final. After India's third consecutive defeat in an ICC tournament under Virat's captaincy, some fans on social media demanded to remove Virat from captaincy duty.

Many former players believe that the captaincy of Team India in T20 format should be handed over to Rohit Sharma and the national team should play the T20 World Cup under his leadership.

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At the same time, great players like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar have supported Virat regarding the captaincy.  Former India batsman Suresh Raina, who has played many years in international cricket with Virat, has also given his reaction to Kohli's captaincy.

"I think he has been the No. 1 captain. His record proves that he has achieved a lot. I think he is the No. 1 batsman in the world. You're talking about an ICC trophy but he hasn't even won an IPL yet. I feel that he needs to be given some time. There are 2-3 World Cups taking place one after the other - two T20 World Cups and then the 50-over World Cup. It's not easy to reach the final - sometimes you miss out on a few things," Raina told News24 Sports.

Raina pointed out that Virat Kohli-led team India faced defeat in the WTC final, not due to conditions but because the Indian batsmen failed to perform. The batting legend feels India's senior batsmen should have played a little more responsibility.

"The WTC final was one such example. People said it was because of the conditions but I feel there was something lacking in batting. The bigger batsmen will have to stitch partnerships and take responsibilities," he added.

"See, we are not chokers, because we already have the 1983 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup the then 50-over World Cup in 2011. We need to understand that players are training hard. With three World Cups approaching, I don't think anyone will call them chokers. We need to give them a little more time. They are doing well and Virat has the capability to change the game. We need to respect the new style of this team. But I feel that in the next 12 to 16 months, an ICC trophy is going to come to India," Raina explained.