Three biggest changes Virat Kohli brought in Indian team during his captaincy tenure

Virat Kohli is set to celebrate his 35th birthday on Sunday. The former India skipper will be in action when India takes on South Africa in the ODI World Cup 2023 game in Kolkata. The Indian batting legend is already a huge name in the annals of not only Indian but also world cricket. 

As a player, Virat Kohli has achieved everything that is to be achieved in this day and age. Virat Kohli on the cusp of equaling the record for the most ODI centuries scored held by the great Sachin Tendulkar. 

It is Virat Kohli’s captaincy tenure which has created a lot of memories and changed the shape of Indian cricket. Here we take a closer look at the three biggest changes Virat Kohli brought in the Indian team during his captaincy tenure. 

#1. Fast bowling culture – 

Indian cricket team had been known as a land for the spinners and gentle medium pace bowlers. It was under Sourav Ganguly that the culture changed as the then Indian skipper went in with genuine pacers. Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni used both spin and pace with good effect. 

It was under Virat Kohli the biggest change in Indian cricket was visible. The likes of Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah made India a fearsome fast bowling unit. This was seen during India’s away tours of Australia, South Africa, England, and New Zealand during Kohli’s near decade long Indian captaincy tenure. 

#2. Renewed fitness regime – 

Under MS Dhoni the Indian team became one of the best fielding sides. This was seen during the 2013 Champions Trophy triumph of which Virat Kohli himself was a part of. During his captaincy tenure, Virat Kohli put huge focus and emphasis on each of the player being fit. 

The former Indian skipper instituted the YO-YO Test to decipher the fitness levels of the players. This was a huge change in Indian Cricket Team during Virat Kohli’s stint as the skipper of the side. 

#3. The introduction and usage of the DRS system – 

Cricket’s Apex Body had introduced the Decision Review System during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2008. Many of the Indian players were skeptical about the usage of technology. This prompted Anil Kumble and his successor MS Dhoni to look away from the usage of DRS. 

Once Virat Kohli assumed the Indian captaincy he played a pivotal role in the Indian Cricket Board’s change of heart. Virat Kohli convinced the Indian Cricket Board about the benefits of the DRS technology and how the Indian team can benefit from it. It was emphasized since during the 2016-2017 season India were supposed to play 16 tests at home.