Indian captain MS Dhoni was ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup tournament, to be played in Bangladesh from February 25, due to a side-strain injury which has seen Virat Kohli take the mantle of leading the side out. Team India has been lacking the winning form off late but with Kohli’s leadership, here are some qualities we could see in this squad:
Indian captain MS Dhoni was ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup tournament, to be played in Bangladesh from February 25, due to a side-strain injury which has seen Virat Kohli take the mantle of leading the side out. Team India has been lacking the winning form off late but with Kohli’s leadership, here are some qualities we could see in this squad:
Killer instinct
Virat Kohli is not new to captaincy roles. He successfully led the U-19 Indian team in the U-19 World Cup in 2008. Team India has been lacking that ‘killer instinct’ off late in their games and with Virat in the squad, expect the boys to play with vigour, passion and urgency.
India’s batting engine can re-ignite
The likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane have failed to lit up the scorecard with poor batting performances in South Africa and New Zealand. Virat who was a standout performer with the bat, can help rub of his luck onto these players and hopefully, the batsmen can start hitting the fours and sixes again!
Bowlers need a shakeup
The Indian bowling attack has been underperforming and due their lacklustre performance, the team has not been doing well overseas. Virat, known for his temperament, can crack a whip on the backside of the Indian pacers and much deservedly so.
Luck on his side
Virat Kohli is still new to the captaincy role but the Delhi lad always had the fair share of luck on side. If India are to win the Asia Cup and the number one ranking, Virat’s ‘lucky charm’ has to come into play. Anushka, anybody?
MS Dhoni might be missed by the Indian team in Bangladesh but Virat’s presence might present a different opportunity at the upcoming Asia Cup. His leadership skills might just be the perfect audition in his road to become a Test skipper.
