Virat Kohli encourages pace bowlers like no other captain: Madan Lal

15 May, 2020

Editor

Former Indian speedster, Madan Lal praises India and RCB skipper Virat Kohli for encouraging fast bowlers

15 May, 2020 By Editor

Madan Lal has played 106 matches for the men in blue and has bagged 144 wickets. The World Cup-winning fast bowler praised Virat Kohli for creating a new culture for fast bowlers in the Indian cricket team. The current Indian team’s fast bowling arsenal consists the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvenshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, and Navdeep Saini. With this sort of blazing force, India is one of the best pace attacks in the world of cricket today.

Speaking to sports analyst Joy Bhattacharjya for Sony Ten Pit Stop, Madan Lal said: “The way Virat Kohli encouraged the pacers, no other captain has done it. I can bet on this. When you have a good pace attack. Going back 15-20 years, India did not win these many matches.”

“Now you're winning it because of the pace attack. Kohli knows that if his pace attack is good, he has more chances of helping the team win. I think this culture of encouraging pace bowlers was started by Sunil Gavaskar. The way Virat Kohli is doing it is unbelievable. He is on the right track with the pacers. You've got 4 or 5 bowlers who are going to win us a lot of matches in the near future,” he said.

“It's very difficult to compare (1985 team and Kohli's team). This team, I think, is one of the best teams ever. Sourav [Ganguly], MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli now. Virat Kohli has changed the concept of the game. He cultivated the fitness culture and belief in your own ability,” he added.

Madan Lal signed off by saying that he supports the need for aggression and feels that the leader must be aggressive.

“I like his aggression. A lot of people criticize him but I don't want to. We needed this. We used to say that Indians were not that aggressive. Now a player, who is our captain, has come with aggression, he should be appreciated.”

“Sometimes, it goes over the line. But that's fine because it's a game. He wants to win every time. When we go to Australia, they are worried about India. When we go to England, they are worried,” he added.