Pathan said Kohli is actually the definition of what a ‘leader’ is.
The 2007 T20 World Cup-winner and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan said he would have loved to play under the current Team India captain Virat Kohli.
During his cricket career that spanned well over a decade, Pathan played under the leadership of some of the legendary captains including Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Anil Kumble, but he never got a chance to play under Kohli despite playing in several teams in the IPL.
Irfan last played for India in the 2012 T20 World Cup and since then, was never recalled to the national set-up, and eventually, the all-rounder announced his retirement from all forms of the game earlier this year.
He had represented Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Gujarat Lions in the IPL in his career.
Recently, Pathan had and Instagram session with ESPN Cricinfo where he has expressed his desire that he would have loved to play under Kohli while hailing the dashing cricketer’s captaincy skills.
Pathan told ESPNCricinfo presenter Raunak Kapoor: “I don’t know if it would be fair to say in one line. I would have loved to play under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.”
The former all-rounder added, “He is the kind of captain who backs his players, he goes out of the way to back his players. He is actually the definition of what a ‘leader’ is, he is a leader.”
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Pathan had recently taken a dig at MS Dhoni, saying he did not get the backing from the captain and the team management.
He told Sportstar recently, “Many people feel I did not get the backing from the captain or the team management. I think that’s not in my control. All I cared about was doing well for the team and I am glad I could do that. But yes, one thing disappoints me. When I took my 300th wicket, I was 27. People peak at 27, but I did not play international cricket after that. Why? I don’t have an answer to that. Maybe, in the future, things will come out in the open,”
(With Sportstar/Hindustan Times Inputs)