No draw, we are going to chase it down – Karn Sharma on Virat Kohli’s positive mindset as captain

Virat Kohli stepped down as the Indian captain in January 2022 but left an impressive legacy in his wake. With numbers to back up for the claim that he was the best Test skipper that India ever had, the former Indian skipper also instilled an attacking ethos and a belligerent mindset in the team during his reign.

Virat secured 40 Test victories as the captain from the 68 matches that he was at the helm of. A win percentage of 58.82 also witnessed Team India starting to win abroad which included the double conquest of Australia in the latter’s backyard, penning down history.

When Virat became the captain in Adelaide after MS Dhoni stepped down in the middle of a Test series against Australia, he was in the midst of choppy waters while India brought in a new face in the side, namely Kohli’s current RCB teammate, Karn Sharma.

Talking on Manjot Kalra’s YouTube channel, Karn Sharma said, “Making my Test debut against Australia in Australia will always remains special. Very few people get that type of start. The dressing room atmosphere was quite good. Ravi Shastri, the coach, was there. We were chasing over 300 runs in that match and Virat said 'no draw. We are going to chase it down. That injected a lot of positivity among players in the dressing room.”

He further added, “It was a different approach. Different captain has a different approach, But ever since he said we are chasing over 300 in the fourth innings of a Test – which was very tough in Australian conditions – it sends a wonderful indication to the players in dressing room, that your captain has different plans."

He concluded by saying that Virat Kohli always remained in the hunt, no matter the situation, stating, “He didn't get runs but to be honest, it never looked as if he was out of form. He always gave that impression that everything is fine. Through his preparations, fitness, mental approach, Kohli never appeared too bothered or was fretting over the fact that he had a bad Test series.”