Winning the only thing that matters, says Virat Kohli

LONDON: There have been some avid gamers over time, who have been slowed down by way of the pressures of captaincy, but Virat Kohli doesn't belong to that team. In 36 Tests that he has been in charge, the Indian captain has hit 15 centuries and there are enough indications that the numbers are going to upward thrust alongside the course of this collection.

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But such inspiring batting performances from the skipper haven't necessarily translated into good fortune for the workforce out of doors the subcontinent. He has notched up centuries in three Tests within the ultimate 4 years - at Adelaide, Centurion and Edgbaston - but India ended up on the shedding side each time.

From out of doors, one would really feel that it's painful for the skipper, but Kohli says it doesn't harm just because he scores runs but the workforce doesn't win. "It's not that I feel bad that I got runs and we couldn't get across the line. It is purely that we haven't won the games. If I hadn't got the runs and we had won, I would have had a totally different feeling," Kohli mentioned, putting the team-man in him forward of the batsman self.

The 29-year-old might be satisfied if somebody scores runs - be it KL Rahul, Ajinkya Rahane or M Vijay - so long as India win. "It doesn't matter whether I get the runs or somebody else. The only thing that matters is India crossing the line," Kohli mentioned.

Some decisions made by way of Kohli over the last 12 months have copped grievance. His resolution to depart out Cheteshwar Pujara and Kuldeep Yadav within the first Test at Edgbaston used to be definitely certainly one of them but the skipper says he isn't taking the choices by myself.

"I am doing as much as I can as captain and there is constant feedback from the management. People have their own way of looking at the game and have their own ideas when it comes to captaincy. But I feel I have had really a good communication with all the players," Kohli mentioned.

The Delhi boy, who has been in charge in all formats since MS Dhoni determined to give up restricted overs captaincy in 2017, maintains that he helps to keep talking to his bowlers when he will get right down to finalize a technique. "I definitely leave no stone unturned when it comes to getting in there and talking to the guys wherever I can from the strategy point of view. Sometimes it doesn't come off and it looks like we are just about there," Kohli mentioned.

But the captain used to be prompt to add that India aren't too far away from good fortune. Even if they'd lost a couple of video games, those have been tight ones and there may be each and every chance that issues will flip round very quickly.

"It is not like we are getting rolled over or dominated. We are being competitive in any Test match we are playing and that is something people are overlooking very easily. It's just a matter of tweaking a few things here and there and when the results come, they will realise how competitive this team is," Kohli mentioned.

It could be better that the effects start coming from Lord's itself, otherwise Kohli may end up including to the listing of Indian flagbearers with the so-near-yet-so-far legacy.