NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India’s Virat Kohli is captaining an enormously talented team, but the players need to adjust their mentality to win big tournaments, having failed in the last seven, ex-captain Sourav Ganguly said as he prepares to head the national cricket board.
Kohli’s men lead the World Test Championship table but India have not won any global tournament since lifting the 2013 Champions Trophy under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
“It is a very good side. My only thing is that they need to win big tournaments,” Ganguly, president-elect of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, told reporters in Kolkata.
“I’m not saying they need to win every time. It’s not possible. But we have gone through seven big tournaments without winning one.”
“They are a much better side than that. That is the only area where they need to get themselves ready mentally.
“Talent is enormous, otherwise they couldn’t have played so well in the World Cup till the semi-finals. So that’s an issue which Virat needs to address. And that doesn’t happen in the boardroom.”
India topped the group stage at this year’s 50-overs World Cup but were beaten by New Zealand in the semi-finals.
As he completes his transition from a star player to a top administrator, one of Ganguly’s initial tasks would be to decide the future of Dhoni, who has taken a break from international cricket after the World Cup in England.
While many believe the popular stumper should not be pushed into retirement, others want clarity about the future of the 38-year-old.
“We will have to see what Dhoni wants,” Ganguly said of his former team mate.
“Now I will be in a position to find out and then we’ll decide on the way forward.”
