Faf du Plessis, the former captain of South Africa, recently recounted a notable story illustrating how uncompromising Virat Kohli was in his role as India's Test captain. The pair played alongside each other for multiple seasons with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.
Kohli, who these days represents India only in ODI cricket, is still the nation's most successful Test captain, having guided the side to 40 wins across 68 matches. He gave up the position in 2022, after Rohit Sharma was named as his replacement.
Appearing on the Prakhar Gupta Podcast, Du Plessis remembered a Test match between India and South Africa at the Wanderers, where the surface had turned into an extremely difficult proposition for batters.
As deliveries repeatedly struck the players, Kohli called on his teammates to stay calm and not react in any way, even when they were hit on the head.
"I remember a Test match at Wanderers, and the pitch was dangerous, really dangerous. Dean (Elgar) got hit on the head by a length delivery. I thought, 'Someone could die out here today.' It felt extremely dangerous because the ball could hit you on the throat, and there was a lot of pace in the wicket.
India were slightly ahead in the game, so what would any captain in a stronger position do? He would say, 'Let's continue playing.' The captain whose team was behind would say, 'Let's call off the game.' The message to the Indian batters was clear: even if you got hit on the glove, hand, head, or throat, don't show any reaction because the game might get called off," Du Plessis said on the podcast.
Du Plessis then commended Kohli for his demanding leadership approach and competitive mentality, noting that it motivated his teammates to exceed their own boundaries and deliver stronger performances even while dealing with considerable physical pain.
"They were hit many times. However, there was a toughness instilled by the way he played the game. We always talk about leaders who lead from the front. Your actions are far more powerful than your words," he said.
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