'Deserves huge credit' - Mandeep Singh reflects on Virat Kohli's legacy as India's Test captain [Exclusive]

Mandeep Singh delved into the impact which Virat Kohli has had on India's Test cricket, both as batter and captain. Earlier in the year, Kohli had announced his retirement from the longest format.

Mandeep, who is considered as a veteran of India's domestic cricket structure, revealed his reasoning behind the slide in Kohli's Test average from a 50-plus one to 46.85 by the end of his red-ball career.

The all-rounder, who represented Tripura after moving from Punjab in the 2024-25 domestic season, also

credited the Indian stalwart for introducing meaningful change in the perception of fitness amongst Indian cricketers. He also praised the bold brand of cricket which India played under Kohli's leadership.

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Excerpts from the interview:  

I don’t know exactly what happened with him or how he decided to retire, but I think he played on a lot of turning wickets throughout his career. That definitely had an impact. His Test average used to be in the 50s, and it dropped to around 46-47 [46.85]. It fell quite a bit because of the wickets he played on in India.

I feel we shouldn’t judge a batter only by the overall average, especially if he’s consistently playing on challenging surfaces. Even with an average of 46-47, he was still an exceptionally strong batter.

And the change he brought as a captain was massive. First of all, the way he backed fast bowling, the mindset of going out there and winning not just in India, but overseas as well. He set the standard himself, and because he was such a strong leader, everyone followed.

He emphasised fitness in a way no one had before. If a bowler is fit, he can deliver three strong spells, not just the first and second, but the third one with the same intensity. He set all these criteria, pushed fitness standards, and brought in structured tests. These things changed Indian cricket.

Of course, he also had great bowlers around him, Ashwin and Jadeja in Indian conditions and Bumrah, Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav forming an incredible pace attack. But he led by example, and that’s why everyone followed him.

I think he deserves huge credit for the kind of strong, fearless cricket India played under him.