He is an angry young man who hates to lose: Yuvraj Singh on Virat Kohli

Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh has backed Indian batsman Virat Kohli to take on the captaincy mantle from MS Dhoni.

Yuvraj, heaping praises on the 25-year-old who captains him in the Indian Premier League (IPL) side Royal Challengers Bangalore, said: “He is an angry young man. He is more aggressive when he is the captain and the team is losing. I see great potential in Kohli. He is outstanding when it comes to work ethic and focus."

Following the 1-3 Test series loss in England, Indian cricketers came in for heavy criticism for taking their wives with them on tour. Kohli, accompanied by his girlfriend Anushka Sharma, wasn’t spared, either. When asked about the issue, he said: "The Australians, South Africans, English or other teams all travel with WAGS, then why should India be singled out. And if you see other sports, be it football or tennis, WAGS accompany respective players during the matches or tours.

"Where were the critics when Virat was shining and doing everything right. A year back, Virat was all over the news for his cricket success, the same critics were praising him that time. I do not think much about it. A player knows what he is doing and he would always keep his form and game a priority."

Working his way back with Sachin Tendulkar

The two time World Cup-winner has been spending his time on the sidelines owing to lack of returns with the bat. On his plans to find his lost touch back, the 32-year-old, who last represented his country in an One Day International (ODI) in December 2013, said: "Sachin has been my mentor and a guide. He has been by my side always. Since I was a kid, I used to follow Sachin Paaji. I looked up to him and still do. I make sure I keep in touch with him.

"A fortnight back, I was in Mumbai at the MCA ground training with him. He is helping me out with my form. He has been telling me to stick to my original game and look for big knocks."