"Kohli won’t be remembered if he doesn’t win titles"

Virat Kohli has led India in three ICC events so far - 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, 2019 World Cup, and the ICC World Test Championship - but on all three occasions, the team has flattered to deceive. While India lost the final of 2017 CT and 2021 WTC, they were bowed out of the semi-final in 2019. Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt concedes that if the Indian skipper fails to win the Championship at least once, he will not be remembered as a good skipper. 

“You can be a very good captain but if you don’t win titles, masses won’t remember you. Maybe you are a good captain and have good plans but your bowler may not be able to execute it. So luck has to be on your side as well. People only remember those who win tournaments,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.

“Sometimes you may not be a great captain but your team may be very good and you may end up winning a major title. So that does not define a captain but for the world, of course, a good captain is one who has won big events.”

While pointing out his abysmal record in the IPL, Butt, however, praised Kohli for his attitude towards the sport. “Virat Kohli has not won any ICC title neither has he won the IPL. He is a top-class cricketer, has excellent body language, and is aggressive. His energy level is at a different level, and it is evident that he wants to give his best every time he steps out in the middle. But captains should be subtle and not fiery,” Butt added.

“We kept hearing during the WTC final, that it is a battle between fire (Virat Kohli) and ice (Kane Williamson). Most top-class captains who have won titles were cool or gesture-less at crunch moments. Virat Kohli is a man full of gestures. Had he won, he would have been praised no end,” he concluded.