Shahid Afridi Advice to Virat Kholi

Kohli one of my favorites but he needs to improve as captain: Afridi

Virat Kohli is a modern-day great when it comes to his batting but his captaincy is still a work in progress.

Kohli has been breaking records at will within every series that he plays and is a terrific fielder as well but it is his captaincy which still needs to improve, according to former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi.

"Virat Kohli is one of my favorite players but he needs to improve as a captain. India-Australia series is going to be a very exciting contest and this Indian team has what it takes to beat Australia in Australia but the team needs to play together," Afridi told Times Now.

The 30-year-old's captaincy skills have come under the scanner this year particularly after the Test series losses against South Africa and England.

Even former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has been saying that Kohli still has a lot to learn as the leader of the team.

"He (Virat) still has a lot to learn. Like we saw in South Africa earlier and now in England too, there were instances when right field placements or timely bowling changes made by him could have made a big difference. That was missing again. It has just been two years since he took over as a captain so at times the lack of experience shows.

"And whatever experience he had was that of Indian pitches where wickets fall quickly. He did not have the experience of breaking a good partnership. Hopefully, he will learn that by the time we tour Australia and won't let their lower order run away with momentum," Gavaskar told India Today in an exclusive chat.

India has been virtually untouchable under Kohli in home conditions and places like Sri Lanka and the West Indies, but the challenge of winning in countries like England, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand is at a different level altogether. Kohli's reign will be defined by his record in these places.

Till now India have managed to win just two Tests - Johannesburg Test in South Africa and Southampton Test in England - under Kohli.

His next big test is the four-match Test series in Australia which begins from December 6. India's tour, however, got off to a bad start as they lost the first T20 international at the Gabba in Brisbane.

But the team will be looking to make amends and stay alive in the three-match series when they play the second match in Melbourne on November 23.

Some glaring tactical blunders cost India dearly in the first match as they went down to the hosts by four runs (DLS) in a rain-truncated match.

However, there will be no margin for errors against an Australian team that is starting to believe it can compete. It was only one match but the Aussies showed they can take the fight to their more fancied opponents.