"To be honest, Virat Kohli has won nothing as a leader": Gautam Gambhir opens up

With 27 Test hundreds and 43 ODI hundreds, India skipper Virat Kohli has achieved plenty when it comes to personal milestones. However, he has been unable to win neither an ICC trophy for India nor an IPL trophy for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Speaking in the latest episode of Star Sports’ Cricket Connected, former India batsman Gautam Gambhir said Virat Kohli has to achieve "Lots, in a team sport."

“You can keep scoring your own runs. There are people like Brian Lara who’s got so many runs. People like Jacques Kallis who have won nothing, Virat Kohli, at the moment, has won nothing to be honest, as a leader.”

“He has a lot to achieve. He can keep scoring his own runs. But for me, in a team sport, till the time you don’t win those big trophies, you will never be considered... probably you will never fulfill your entire career,” Gambhir said.

The 38-year-old went on to add that Virat Kohli needs to realise that every player is different and as a leader, the most important quality is taking players as they are.

“Every individual has its pros and cons, his own strength and weaknesses. That is what makes a team sport really, really fascinating. You got to gel everyone together and try to bring the best out of everyone else.

“Mohammed Shami can never be Jasprit Bumrah. Or Ishant Sharma can never be Jasprit Bumrah. Or KL Rahul can never be Virat Kohli. For that matter, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, all these guys probably can never match to Virat Kohli’s intensity, and talent as well,” he added.

“But how to get the best out of them, and figuring out those situations will help him, and prepare him the best for the world titles, and that is only when they can actually win it,” the former India batsman further said.