Yuvraj: Kohli is ‘an angry young man’

India

Veteran India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has revealed that batsman Virat Kohli is not the calmest of personalities, which is not surprising to those who watch him play, saying he is an ‘angry young man’.

Yuvraj was referring more to Kohli’s attitude on the field, saying the young batsman, known in his youth for being overly aggressive, would get wound up when skippering the team and on the losing end.

But he clarified that Kohli was passionate about the team, hence his short fuse, and said he had the potential to be a permanent captain. He will get a chance to lead the side in MS Dhoni’s absence against Sri Lanka next month.

Yuvraj told the Indian Express: “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.”

Kohli had a very poor tour to England, especially in the Tests, and a lot of fans put that down to the fact that he was traveling with his Bollywood actress girlfriend, but Yuvraj dismissed that theory as nonsense.

He added: “There is nothing like that. 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.”

With Kohli being named stand-in skipper, Yuvraj was asked if this could be a more permanent thing, and if India should follow the examples of England and South Africa and name different skippers for each format.

Yuvraj said: “Countries like England, Australia and South Africa do have different captains for different formats. Having said that, it is not a compulsion. If the selectors feel that there is a need to do it, it can be done or they think it is not required, it is up to them.

“I think Dhoni is doing the job quite well at the moment. He has been instrumental in many India wins. He is fit enough to do the job in all three formats, then why make the change. He has done a commendable job when it comes to captaining India.

“As regards the impact of a hectic schedule, I think its very tough for the fast bowlers to cope with the demands in the present scenario. They should be protected and so that injuries don’t affect them.”

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