IPL 2019: Virat Kohli is still learning as a captain, KKR assistant coach Simon Katich

Virat Kohli may have had a headache removed after the Indian squad for the ICC World Cup 2019 was announced on Monday, April 15, but as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he still has a lot to think about, as they suffered their seventh defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The RCB team has managed just one win in the tournament, which came against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) after six consecutive defeats and the team still resides at the 8th position in the points table. Questions have been raised on Kohli’s captaincy, as despite being one of the best batsmen of his era, Kohli has failed to inspire the Challengers team in his tenure as captain.

KKR’s Simon Katich feels Kohli needs to work on his skills as a leader

Former Australia batsman and current assistant coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, Simon Katich feels that Virat Kohli is not there as a leader yet and needs a lot of work to develop that part of his captaincy. “I don’t know how he operates within the group. He is probably still learning as a captain as well. You can be a great player as he is, leadership is something that can be developed over a long period of time. So he is still in a phase where he is learning a lot about himself as a leader,” the former Australia Test opener told IANS in an interview.

Katich also mentioned that MS Dhoni’s guidance to Kohli during the upcoming ICC World Cup will be most valuable for India’s success. “Getting the best out of players, being able to allow players to feel comfortable playing the way they play to help them be as successful as possible. He is learning from one of the greats (Dhoni). As a player, you like the captain backing you and that’s something that Virat is still learning as a captain,” Katich further added.

Katich also felt that KKR captain Dinesh Karthik needed to bat higher than his current position, as the team looks to snap their three-match losing streak. “He can potentially bat higher. He has done very well as a finisher. There is no doubt he is in good form; he just needs opportunities. There is no doubt that when he has got opportunities, he has done well for India and KKR,” he concluded.

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