Suresh Raina got really candid about his thoughts on Virat Kohli’s future as the captain of the Indian cricket team and expressed what he feels should happen with his duty as the leader of the Men in Blue in an interview with News24 Sports.

"I think he has been the No. 1 captain. His record proves that he has achieved a lot. I think he is the No. 1 batsman in the world. You're talking about an ICC trophy but he hasn't even won an IPL yet,” Raina said.

“I feel that he needs to be given some time. There are 2-3 World Cups taking place one after the other - two T20 World Cups and then the 50-over World Cup. It's not easy to reach the final - sometimes you miss out on a few things," he added.

Ever since the crushing defeat at the hands of Kane Williamson and the New Zealand squad in the semi-final of the ICC World Cup 2019, a rise has been seen in the number of critics who don’t believe in Kohli’s ability as a captain. Although, it has to be addressed that throughout their group stage, India remained the only team to incur one loss and were on top of the points table as well.

1, 1, 1 - the only ODI innings where each of the top three scored just one run.

'A spell of bad cricket', as Virat Kohli put it, saw India exit the 2019 World Cup at the semi-final stage.https://t.co/bjYvheciKu #OnThisDay pic.twitter.com/VEkD6cEfYP

Talking about the disappointing performance during the one-off match in the World Test Championship Final in England, Raina also addressed how the weather played a massive impact on India’s inability to play at a high level, while also mentioning that the most seasoned batters of the squad should have shoulders the responsibility a lot better than they did.

The WTC final was one such example. People said it was because of the conditions but I feel there was something lacking in batting. The bigger batsmen will have to stitch partnerships and take responsibilities," he added.

We are not chokers: Suresh Raina

"See, we are not chokers, because we already have the 1983 World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup the then 50-over World Cup in 2011. We need to understand that players are training hard. With three World Cups approaching, I don't think anyone will call them chokers. We need to give them a little more time. They are doing well and Virat has the capability to change the game. We need to respect the new style of this team. But I feel that in the next 12 to 16 months, an ICC trophy is going to come to India," Raina explained.

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