Cuttack, Jan 18: Opening batsman KL Rahul today (January 18) said India's new limited overs captain Virat Kohli has already shown signs of being a "great leader" with his performances, energy and passion on the field.
Ind-Eng series schedule; Photos
On Sunday (January 15), Kohli took charge as India's full-time ODI captain. He relished his first day in office, striking a magnificent century (122) which resulted in India chasing down a mammoth 351 against England. (2nd ODI preview)
Ahead of the 2nd ODI of the 3-match rubber, Kohli's captaincy, attitude and batting came in for praise from team-mate Rahul. (Watch Kohli's 'wow' SIX)
"It is about how he (Kohli) has set examples for us. He has gone out there and done the job for the team many times. We look up to him and we see how he builds his innings, the kind of energy, enthusiasm and the passion he has on the field. It spreads on all of us. We learn a lot from him," Rahul told reporters on Wednesday.
He continued, "He is somebody who is not just looking to have great performances individually but he wants to take the team along. He is always showing us the way, sharing his experience and giving us feedback, telling us what he thinks we could have done better. That is the sign of a great leader".
The Karnataka right-hander said he and other players in the team "loved" playing under Kohli.
"We are enjoying playing under him. It has just been one game (ODI) but who have been part of the Test team we know how aggressive he is as a captain. We love playing under Virat. He has always supported me and other boys," Rahul said.
Rahul said it was good to have Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a player in the team, after giving up captaincy.
"It is good to have a young leader as well and also to have MS (Dhoni) in the team. Not only will Dhoni guide Virat as a skipper but also the youngsters like us. Good to have both of them in the team and learn from them," he said.
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