Jacques Kallis backs Virat Kohli to lead India in all three formats

Jacques Kallis

Legendary South African cricketer Jacques Kallis has come out in support of India’s test captain Virat Kohli, saying the youngster had the ability to lead India in the limited overs format. He added that it was time Kohli took over the ODI and T20 captaincy from MS Dhoni, in addition to his test captaincy.

"I am sure Virat has the ability to lead India in all three formats. He will have to start somewhere and take over from MS. Only time will tell whether this move will work or backfire, but he comes across as a player who thrives under pressure. So Virat is the right choice, and he must give it a go," Kallis told The Indian Express.

Ever since Kohli took over test captaincy from MS Dhoni, he has been leading the team well and even guided India to a rare away series win against Sri Lanka in his first stint as captain. The series win against Sri Lanka, had earlier raised questions whether Kohli would captain India against South Africa in all formats.

The 39-year old South African also felt that captaincy wouldn’t affect Kohli’s form and believed he would tackle pressure well. “Virat is a very strong batsman, and knows how to tackle pressure. I think he is ready to handle every situation.”

This Proteas team has a lot of spinners: Kallis

On the upcoming South Africa’s tour of India, Kallis felt that the South African team was well balanced and that it would be a tough tour and the side that plays the best brand of cricket would emerge on the top.

"Touring India and coming back with a win is always a tough task. I believe the selectors have chosen the best side, which has the ability to compete against India. This time, we have beefed up the spin options as well, so I think this squad has got everything covered. That's what makes it a balanced one," he opined.

The former South African also felt aggression was key to success in cricket and firmly believed Dale Steyn was still a key figure in the squad despite his recent poor form.

“Dale is hungry to play and pick up more wickets. In my eyes, he is one of the greatest fast bowlers to have played the game. Like always, he will be a handful for the Indian batsmen. It would be interesting to see how he tackles the opponents.”, he concluded.