Virat Kohli is an Honest And Thorough Captain: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin endured a torrid 2016 Indian Premier League for debutants Rising Pune Supergiants. In 14 games, he picked up just 10 wickets and bowled only 44 overs.

Once the lynchpin of the Chennai Super Kings attack, Ashwin bowled his full quota of overs in only seven out of the 14 Pune games and there were reports that his equation with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain of the team, was under scrutiny.

Following the end of the IPL, Ashwin has heaped praise on Virat Kohli's leadership style and called him a thorough and honest captain. Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore to the final and also leads India's Test team.

"His honesty gives me the confidence to perform. He takes control of what fields I want to set and how I want to bowl and these conversations result in plenty of clarity," Ashwin said in an interview to Hindustan Times.

Kohli has been in sensation form in the past one year. Under his captaincy, India won series against Sri Lanka and South Africa.

During IPL 2016, he led from the front with 973 runs with four centuries. Royal Challengers Bangalore finished runners-up to Sunrisers Hyderabad, the third time RCB have lost a final.

R Ashwin's Prosperity Under Virat Kohli

Ashwin's praise for Kohli is not surprising, considering that the off-spinner enjoyed his best time under Kohli's captaincy during India's success in 2015.

During India's tour to Sri Lanka, Ashwin was the star with 21 wickets as India won a series against Sri Lanka for the first time after 22 years.

Kohli had lavished praise on the offspinner and pointed out that his aggression was the key in India's series win.

"Ashwin has been a champion bowler for us. He's been taking wickets for us everywhere. Even in his mindset, he's bowling in a more aggressive manner. It's almost impossible to get him away. He's bowling beautifully and he is attacking the batsmen all the time," Kohli said after the series win.

Ashwin happy with Kohli's flexibility

The off-spinner was also full of praise for Kohli's captaincy following the series win and said, "Whenever he hands the ball over, I can be rest assured that I will get what I want and I am always backed," he said.

Ashwin's bowling was once again the decisive factor as he picked 31 wickets against South Africa to help India clinch a 3-0 series win. Kohli termed him as one of the best bowlers in the world after that win.

With Ashwin's form dipping, the tour of the West Indies would be the right moment for him to regain form and confidence after a tough couple of months.