Virat Kohli will roam around Oxford Street with his shirt off if India wins 2019 World Cup: Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly feels that the Indian skipper Virat Kohli will roam around Oxford street in England if India wins the World Cup in 2019. Kohli is in amazing form currently both as a batsman and a captain and is yet to lose a single across formats since taking over the reins from MS Dhoni. However, Dada also praised his leadership skills and felt the current Indian team is established enough to succeed in alien conditions.

The celebration of Ganguly in the balcony of the Mecca of cricket is still fondly remembered when he took his shirt off after India won the final of the tri-series against England. He was an aggressive captain and let his all his emotions flow during his celebrations. While the fans loved his actions, many criticised the skipper for over-reacting after the victory. Though it was Ganguly who brought the Indian cricket into a better shape before others took over.

Mark my words

Sourav Ganguly expressed his opinion during a panel discussion of Agenda Aaj Tak on a news channel when he was teased over his celebrations in 2002 at Lord’s. “If Virat wins the World Cup in 2019, he will roam around Oxford Street with his shirt off. Mark my words,” he said jokingly in the presence of Harbhajan Singh, VVS Laxman and Aakash Chopra. The cheeky banter continued even then between Bhajji and Dada as everyone had a laugh on the comment.

He also hailed Virat Kohli for the way he leads from the front and also felt that the current Indian team will win overseas. “When we played, Indian cricket was different and the thinking was different and we had to take Indian cricket forward, when Dhoni came, he took it forward. Now during Virat’s time, he had an established team and he had to take it even further,” Dada added. He also went on to say that Kohli is a role model for the current generation.

“The best thing about Indian cricket is that we have had different role-models in different eras. It has been a step by step growth and we have created champions in different generations. Kohli is the role model now,” Ganguly concluded.