Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has openly expressed disappointment over Virat Kohli’s tenure as India’s white-ball captain, saying that the team had the potential to win multiple ICC trophies but ultimately fell short. Echoing this sentiment, former Australia cricketer and IPL-winning coach Tom Moody described Kohli’s era as one of “high expectation but ultimate disappointment.”

The remarks were made on the Rise of Champions programme on JioHotstar, as India prepares to defend its ICC T20 World Cup title in the upcoming tournament co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India will kick off their campaign on February 7 against the USA, placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA.

Reflecting on India’s stature in world cricket, former Australian captain Aaron Finch noted:

“When you are an Indian team with so much skill, people assume you must win. That reputation carries its own pressure.”

Harbhajan pointed out that despite Kohli’s immense success as a Test captain, his white-ball record lacked major silverware. During his tenure, India faced:

• A 180-run loss to Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final
• A narrow defeat to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semifinal
• An early exit in the 2021 T20 World Cup after losses to Pakistan and New Zealand

“The kind of team Virat had, they could have won three or four trophies,” Harbhajan remarked, while acknowledging that there may have been underlying reasons for these failures.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar highlighted team selection issues during the Kohli–Ravi Shastri era as a key concern.

Offering a contrasting perspective, AB de Villiers defended Kohli, criticizing the tendency to judge captains solely on World Cup wins:

“It irritates me that people label a captain useless just because he hasn’t won a World Cup. That’s unfair.”

Statistically, Kohli led India in 50 T20Is, winning 30, and in 95 ODIs, winning 65. Despite strong win percentages, the absence of major ICC trophies continues to shape opinions on his white-ball captaincy.