Is Virat Kohli a good captain or the skipper of a good team?

Virat Kohli's leadership skills have been questioned many times over the years. The cricketing superstar is under the microscope at all times. His batting prowess has already made him a legend in the game but his captaincy skills have drawn plenty of criticism over the years.

"Is Virat Kohli the best Indian captain?" That’s debatable, but statistically, his record answers that question with a resounding affirmation. He has been India’s most successful captain in Tests, overtaking the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and MS Dhoni. As per Wisden's report, only Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Kane Williamson have a better win percentage than Kohli.

This record brings into light the question of whether Kohli is a good captain or is he simply the leader of a good team.

Answering the question is akin to walking a tightrope. The captain is as good as his team. With names like Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin in Tests and some promising young blood in the shorter format, Kohli has plenty of matchwinners at his disposal who help him win matches.

Virat Kohli: A good captain but he is not a perfect.

Kohli's captaincy does not involve a lot of in-game tinkering but the Delhi-born batsman does believe in taking an aggressive and innovative approach to cricket.

A classic example is the infusion of the five-bowlers theory that he has endorsed since taking over the armband. It yielded fantastic results for an Indian team who were going through a mini rough patch in test cricket prior to him taking over the captaincy.

India v England - 3rd One Day International

The backing of fast bowlers and determination to take 20 wickets in every game at the cost of having to sit out a batsman is not a gamble many would have taken. The decision was an ever riskier one considering that most pitches on the sub-continent offer plenty of help to the batsman and Kohli essentially removed the contingency plan in order to win more matches.

He placed absolute faith in the fact that his team, even with one batsmen less, are good enough to put runs on the board to win a game. It opened up games by removing the safety net of a drawn test match and presented a challenge for every player to be at their best for every single delivery. Kohli thrives on challenges and this was one he wanted to master.

Kohli is therefore a good captain but he is not perfect. Fortunately, he does not need to be. He needs to make the best team and he is well on his way to doing just that. He does have cracks in the armor that needs repairing.

Questions about Virat Kohli's captaincy will continue

Virat Kohli's a stark contrast to MS Dhoni, from where the most unfair comparisons come into play.

It’s only a matter of time before Kohli’s captaincy comes into question again. His captaincy will come under immense scrutiny again with the World Test Championship (WTC) looming large following which India are taking on England in a grueling five-match Test series.

That’s not all. There’s also the unfinished business for Kohli and the IPL where he is yet to bag a trophy for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He will also want to win an ICC event. He missed out on the 2019 WC, but the upcoming WT20 will be on his radar.

Until then, the perennial debate will continue: "Is Virat Kohli a good captain?"