Virat Kohli has backed Shubman Gill's squad to surpass the 2015 World Cup side in depth and firepower, while also revealing the personal toll of India's 2019 semi-final defeat.
Virat Kohli has made a bold claim that Shubman Gill's current Indian white-ball squad carries more depth and firepower than MS Dhoni's 2015 World Cup side. Kohli also revealed the intense mental toll he suffered in the weeks following India's 2019 World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand.
The 2015 World Cup saw India beaten in the semi-finals by eventual champions Australia. Kohli, who scored just one century across the tournament, stated that the team was young, despite MS Dhoni's leadership. The lack of experience in the side showed in their results, according to Kohli.
"The amount of talent we have and the composure the guys have now are probably way greater than they were in 2015, I can say. Because we were still young, there was not a lot of experience in the team. MS was there, of course; I had played a lot of games, Rohit had played a few games, Shikhar was there, but it wasn't like you could bank on those players to make an impact. Today, you could be four down, and someone could win you the game single-handedly. Earlier, there was no such feeling," Kohli told JioStar.
Why does Kohli consider 2019 a greater heartbreak than 2015?
Kohli contrasted India's semi-final exits at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, describing the 2019 defeat as the more painful of the two. In 2015, India fell to Australia in the semi-finals, a result Kohli acknowledged the team had some awareness of given their own strengths and weaknesses at the time.
"2015, playing Australia in the semis, we were always motivated to win but you were aware of your strengths and weaknesses. 2019, I felt was more of a heartbreak," Kohli said.
India lost the 2019 World Cup semi-final to New Zealand by 18 runs at Old Trafford in Manchester. The match was rain-affected and pushed onto the reserve day. Just when Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni appeared to be shifting the momentum, Martin Guptill's direct hit ran out Dhoni and ended India's hopes. Kohli has indicated the result arrived almost out of nowhere and left the squad shaken in a way the 2015 exit had not.
How did the 2019 exit affect Kohli personally and shape his support for Gill?
The 2019 defeat left a deep personal mark on Kohli. He was candid about how hard the result hit him in the weeks that followed, stating he was distraught for a couple of months after the exit and described himself as mentally gone during that period.
Kohli has since linked the pain of that 2019 experience to the way he now mentors and supports Gill's leadership. The experience of carrying that weight, he indicated, informs how he relates to the pressures that come with leading India at a major tournament.
Kohli's backing of the current squad's depth and his openness about his own mental struggles together reflect a broader intent to prepare Gill's group for the challenges ahead, including the 2027 World Cup cycle.