Kohli has qualities of a leader: Vettori

BANGALORE: For many, Daniel Vettori's appointment as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper last season came as a sensible move with the Kiwi veteran appearing the most natural replacement for Anil Kumble. However, team dynamics and the choice of a fourth foreign player meant the 34-year-old had to make way on a number of occasions for an emerging leader in Virat Kohli.

Cut to 2013, with Kohli named as RCB's full-time captain and groomed for Team India reins in the future, Vettori is one of the most supportive senior members backing the young leader. The soft-spoken left-arm spinner said his role would be to support Kohli as two-time finalists RCB look to go one step further in IPL-6.

"I think it (RCB role) is still about being a senior player and given an opportunity, it is about stepping up and contributing to the team. Virat obviously has done well as a leader with Indian cricket and he has done a fantastic job with us when he stepped in last year and this is a continuation of that and senior players like us, AB (De Villiers) and Chris Gayle will support," the bespectacled star said on Tuesday.

Vettori singled out Kohli's commitment to the team as one of the key features that will help him lead the side effectively. "I think he is incredibly committed and that is an outstanding quality for a leader. It stems from the fact that he gives it everything.

"It is a natural transition for him to captain RCB and he seems to be doing a great job."

Out for most of last year with an Achilles tendon injury, Vettori appeared confident he would find his stride in the coming weeks. "I have played a few domestic games and it is good to be here and to be able to train and hopefully everything will be okay. It is a new season, it is exciting to be here, we have done well in the past and we are optimistic. Most of the team is here and everyone is pretty solid," he said.

Looking ahead to the challenge against Mumbai Indians, RCB's opener at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Thursday, Vettori said: "Mumbai, like us, have been a form team every year. They have a good combination all the way down and it is a great opening game for us. It will be a real test of where we are early on and we can assess ourselves in this competition depending upon how we play against Mumbai."

Vettori said he was pleased to hear about former RCB batsman and Kiwi teammate Jesse Ryder's steady recovery from horrific injuries sustained in an attack back home. "He is improving every day and our thoughts are with him. We wish him a speedy recovery. His recovery is great news," said Vettori.

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Shweta Pandey

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