With a winning percentage of 60, Virat Kohli is currently the most successful Indian captain in test cricket. His record in cue ball cricket is excellent too, but somehow Kohli has so far failed to replicate the same when he led the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. Explaining the reasons behind the same thing, former RCB coach Ray Jennings said that Kohli sometimes backed the wrong players, which may have hurt RCB’s chances in previous editions of the IPL.
Also follow | Total IPL coverage 2020
Jennings, who had coached RCB between 2009 and 2014, said he wanted certain players to play a particular role on the team, but Kohli had different plans.
“If I have to look back, I would say that in the IPL there used to be between 25 and 30 players (in the squad) and it was the coach’s duty to look after all the players. Sometimes he was a bit lonely on the team. At times, he backed the wrong players. But you can’t blame him for that. I wanted certain players to pitch or hit in certain conditions / situations, but he had different ideas, “Jennings told Cricket.com.
Read also | How an Olympic sprinter is helping KKR to be faster
Jennings, with whom RCB saw its best years, reaching the tournament final twice, explained how leading an IPL team could be very different.
Look, IPL is very different from international cricket. In six weeks, some players can choose the form and others can go wrong. Therefore, someone in the group must be there all the time. When I was there, some players should have played more, but he has different points of view. However, that is a thing of the past and it is good to see him mature day by day and start to win IPL trophies, ”he said.
Read also | Maxwell, star of Carey with centuries as Australia wins the thriller to capture the series
When asked if Kohli was at the forefront of the RCB leadership group and yet was not getting the desired results, Jennings said that IPL is a small margin game and he hoped the pattern would improve.
“We must not forget that IPL is a game of small margins. He has reached the semi-finals (playoffs) and the final and will definitely achieve much more success in the years to come. Sometimes the criticism is that he does not enjoy time with the players. But, I can understand that given that a captain has a lot on his plate. In addition, the auction is a very important factor (in the performance of the team), ”he said.
The South African, who worked with Kohli during his formative years in the IPL, praised the current IPL top scorer, believing that the best of captain RCB is yet to come.
“Virat Kohli has always been an incredible cricket mastermind. He sets very high standards (for himself) and we follow him despite a problem or two. You needed someone close to Virat to guide him (at the time). Of course, he and I collide several times, but he is a good guy and learns very fast. It’s good to see him grow as a player and now as a captain. His mannerism is great. The best is yet to come, ”Jennings said.
.
