Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has backed Virat Kohli after the latter’s statement was criticised by another former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. After India’s victory in historic Day-Night Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, Kohli credited former India captain, as well as BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly for this, which didn’t go well with Gavaskar who said India had won in the 70s and 80s as well.
“That is Virat Kohli’s personal thinking,” Gautam Gambhir told Sports Tak when he was asked about current India captain Virat Kohli’s statement. “There is no doubt we started winning outside India more under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy.”
“Under previous captains like Sunil Gavaskar or Kapil Dev or other captain after them, India were always a dominant force at home. However, under Ganguly, we started winning more outside India. I think what Virat Kohli said about taking Sourav Ganguly’s legacy forward, in terms of winning outside India, I agree with it,” he shared.
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After India beat Bangladesh by an innings and 46 runs in Kolkata, Virat Kohli told, “The idea is to establish yourself in the middle and we have learnt to stand up and give it back. It all started with Dada’s (Sourav Ganguly) team and we are just carrying it forward.”
To this, Gavaskar replied in the post-match show on Star Sports that although India won convincingly, he has some points to say.
“The Indian captain said that this thing started in 2000 with Dada’s (Ganguly’s) team. I know Dada is the BCCI President, so maybe Kohli wanted to say nice things about him. But India were also winning in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He wasn’t born then. A lot of people still think that cricket started only in 2000s. But the Indian team won overseas in the ‘70s. The Indian team also won away in 1986. India also drew series overseas. They lost like other teams did,” Gavaskar added.
