Daniel Vettori Opens Up On Virat Kohli's T20 Captaincy

Daniel Vettori played dual roles for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) - as a player and coach. The former New Zealand spinner's stints at different positions made him work closely with the Bengaluru franchise and Virat Kohli over the years. But after RCB's poor run in the lucrative tournament, Vettori was removed from his coaching position as former India coach Gary Kirsten took over. Recalling the time he spent with Kohli at RCB, Vettori said Kohli relied on intuition and understanding the game.

Vettori further added Kohli was always fond of compelling stories and open to ideas which made him "a good captain".

"When I used to speak to him or any other coaches (used to) speak to him, there is always a conversation around what you think is best, where can this work," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Vettori, as saying.

"It wouldn't always be a number-driven conversation. It would be around some intuition and understanding of the game. I think, ultimately, when you sold a compelling story to Virat, he was always on board, open to listen and that made him such a good captain," he said.

The Bengaluru franchise began their IPL 2019, registering six losses on the trot.

After starting as laggards in the lucrative tournament, RCB finished their campaign with five victories, at the bottom of the table.

It was the 12th straight season the Bengaluru franchise failed to earn the IPL trophy despite having some of the finest players in their ranks over the years.

Even Kohli, by his own standards had a modest season, registering only a single century and two half-centuries. He will be next seen in action in the World Cup 2019, slated to get underway from May 30 in England and Wales.

(With ANI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL 2019 Daniel Vettori Virat Kohli Cricket