Virat Kohli: I was labelled a failed captain for not winning an ICC trophy

Virat Kohli

Former India skipper Virat Kohli says he was labelled a "failed" captain by a section of experts and fans for not winning an ICC trophy.

Under Kohli's captaincy, India failed to win the 2017 Champions Trophy, the 2019 World Cup, the 2021 World Test Championship final against New Zealand, besides suffering a premature exit from the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.

Asked if he ever felt the pinch of not lifting an ICC trophy while leading the side, Kohli said, "Look you play to win tournaments. A lot was made of it [not lifting an ICC trophy as skipper].

"So, we lost the last [2021] T20 World Cup. We didn't qualify [for semis]. We reached the final of 2017 Champions Trophy, semi-finals of the [2019] World Cup, final of [World] Test Championship, and I was considered as a failed captain," Kohli said on the RCB Podcast.

The former captain said he prided himself for the "cultural changes" he was able to bring into the team.

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"I never judged myself from that point of view [defeats in ICC tournaments]. What we ended up achieving as a team and as a cultural change for me, that's always going to be a matter of pride.

"For that [bringing about cultural change], you need more character than just winning a tournament. So, I won the [2011] World Cup and the Champions Trophy as a player, I've been part of a team that has won five Test maces.

"If you look at it from that point of view, there have been people who have never won a World Cup. I'm always grateful for what I have."

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