Kohli a delight to watch and has a strong desire to succeed, says Hadlee

New Delhi - Kohli will be aiming to win his first ICC trophy as captain when he leads India against New Zealand in the WTC final

Legendary New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee said India skipper Virat Kohli was responsible for ensuring that Indian cricket remained competitive at the international level.

India and New Zealand will be locking horns in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final, slated to begin on June 18 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton.

Kohli will be aiming to win his first ICC trophy as captain when he leads India against Kane Williamson’s New Zealand in the WTC final next month.

“I see Virat as being a very passionate and competitive cricketer with a strong desire for himself and the team to succeed. He is a proud man and a world-class player -- a delight to watch,” Hadlee said in an official ICC media release.

“The pressure and expectations on him to ‘win’ is enormous. There are millions of Indian fans who idolise him which puts great pressure on him. Virat is responsible for ensuring that Indian cricket remains competitive and be one of the best teams in the world.

“However, fans still need to understand that we are all human and champions will fail from time to time -- any cricketer can score a duck or get no wickets which is deemed to be a failure, but when a player succeeds, everyone is happy, except perhaps the opposition.”

Kohli is already the most successful India Test skipper. Under Kohli, India had managed to reach the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy and semifinal of the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Earlier this year, India defeated Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against all odds and then Kohli’s team defeated England to cement their place in the WTC final.