Virender Sehwag makes huge statement on Virat Kohli's captaincy

Former India star Virender Sehwag made a significant comment when comparing the captaincy skills of two of India's most successful leaders, i.e. Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli. While Ganguly was able to build a squad as a skipper, Sehwag thinks that the 33-year-old was not able to accomplish the same as a leader during his term.

Thus, the legendary opener stated that although Kohli's performances were statistically one of the best in the game, he could not match the legacy made by the current BCCI President as India's captain. Notably, Virat Kohli captained India in 213 matches across formats, and won 135 of them. He had a win percentage of 63.4 as a captain in international cricket.

"Sourav Ganguly built a new team, brought in new players and backed them through their highs and lows. I doubt if Kohli did that in his tenure. In my opinion, the number one captain is the one who builds a team and gives confidence to his players. He (Kohli) backed some players, some he did not," Virender Sehwag said while speaking to 'Home of Heroes' on Sports 18.

During the conversation, Sehwag also spoke about Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw. He believes that opening with Pant in limited-overs cricket is not a terrible idea. He also named Prithvi Shaw as a player to keep an eye on in the future. According to Sehwag, with Pant and Shaw in the same team, even a total of 400 would not be enough in Test matches.

"He (Shaw) is a player who can bring back the excitement in Test cricket. The opposition will have to think if 400 would be enough with Shaw and Pant in our ranks," he said.

Sehwag also believes that Pant will have a lot more success in limited-overs if he plays as an opener rather than a middle-order batter. "We don’t play limited-overs to score 50 or 100 but to score at a brisk pace, no matter the situation or the opposition. At no. 4 or 5, he will find himself in situations that demand greater responsibility, but if he opens, he will be far more successful," he said.