'Lionel Messi is yet to win major silverware with Argentina' - Ramiz Raja opens up on Virat Kohli's ICC title drought

Indian skipper Virat Kohli and his troops will soon be seen in action in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship Final (WTC) against New Zealand starting on June 18. While there is no question on the Indian team’s consistency in the last four to five years, there is still one impending question as to whether this is the year when Kohli finally breaks his ICC title drought as the skipper.

India have managed to reach the Champions Trophy final in the 2017 edition and the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 only to suffer defeats in the hands of Pakistan and New Zealand respectively under Kohli’s leadership.

Former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja spoke about the same topic and compared the Indian legend with that of football superstar Lionel Messi pointing out that for the big occasions, temperament is the key rather than the consistency. Raja also felt that composure and seizing the big moments is what makes the player stand out from the rest.

Ramiz Raja sheds light on important factors in the finals of a major tournament

“Look at Sir Viv Richards. He always used to perform on big occasions. The WTC final will be a great opportunity for Kohli to score a ton and lead India to a trophy. He’s already among legends but leading India to the WTC trophy will be one more feather in his cap. A podium like this is a great chance for Kohli to enter into the club of ‘all-time greats’. He’s got the ability to do that. He just needs to manage his talent according to the situation,” Raja said in a conversation with India TV.

Messi too is yet to win a major title and Raja was quick to find similarities between the two modern-day legends of their respective sport. The cricketer-turned commentator feels remaining unfazed and calm are the two main ingredients for doing well in the knockouts. Kohli as a batter has struggled a bit during the ICC knockout matches and he would surely love to get that record straight against New Zealand in the marquee clash.

“Some big names like Lionel Messi are still yet to win major silverware with Argentina. It’s all about temperament. Performing in big games like a World Cup final proves a player’s mettle,” said Raja.