Players like KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah made their international debut under Virat Kohli's captaincy and have thrived ever since.
Virat Kohli recently announced his decision to step down as the skipper of the Test team. In a matter of three-month, the powerful all-format captain will now play for India as just another player. Despite this, his accolades as skipper of Team India cannot be overlooked. Virat stepped down as the most successful Test captain in Indian history, and during his tenure players like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah etc made their international bow and would go on to thrive in Indian colours. Here are 5 Indian players nurtured by Virat Kohli under his captaincy:
1. Jasprit Bumrah
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Virat Kohli's contribution to the rise of Jasprit Bumrah, the pacer cannot be undermined. Bumrah made his debut in January 2016 against Australia and has since become India's go-to pacer across all formats. He's currently ranked number 7 in ICC's ODI ranking and was recently promoted to vice-captain of the ODI squad for the upcoming ODI series versus South Africa.
2. KL Rahul
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Another player who Virat Kohli groomed under his tutelage, KL Rahul has become such a crucial cog in Team India's success, that the 29-year-old has been mentioned as one of the players who can take over the mantle from Kohli in Tests. He will lead the Men in Blue in the upcoming ODI series versus South Africa, and since making his debut in 2014, the Karnataka batsman hasn't looked back.
3. Rishabh Pant
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Another player who has been mooted to fill in the shoes of Virat Kohli going forward, Rishabh Pant adores MS Dhoni publically, but he's also very close to Kohli. Since making his debut in February 2017, the southpaw has played consistently under Kohli and that's why one reason why Team India haven't missed MS Dhoni behind the stumps, because Pant made that transition look easier than it actually was.
4. Hardik Pandya
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Hardik Pandya may not be in the spotlight right now, but there can be no denying the fact that Pandya's all-guns-blazing batting style has won India numerous games. He was even mentioned as India's next match-finisher, taking over the moniker from the man MS Dhoni himself. Kohli consistently backed Pandya and played a key role in the all-rounder's rise.
5. Mohammed Siraj
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The latest Indian player in-line to have been nurtured by Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj played under the 33-year-old at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and has since usurped the experienced Umesh Yadav in the Indian team. Siraj has consistently delivered since making his national team bow, and Virat Kohli must be credited for giving the youngster a chance and a platform to express himself.
