"He (Virat) is a good leader ... He will be a good leader, but I have said before challenges for Indian captains is not in India its away," the former left-hand batsman said on the sidelines of Coca Cola-NDTV "Support My School" campaign here.
"I like him. I like what I see on the field, he wants to win, he is passionate, you can see on the field and India has hopes on him," Ganguly added.
Under Kohli's leadership, India had defeated Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in the Test series and now have taken an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match Test series versus South Africa.
The Nagpur pitch came under a lot of criticism after the third Test ended within three days.
When asked about the nature of pitches in context of match, Ganguly said, "It's ok, I thought, the batsmen could have batted better, the balls have turned there is not doubt about it, it turned, there was a lot of help for spinners.
"I think it's a one-off thing, I don't think India will produce such pitches....," he added.
On Ravindrachandran Ashwin, who razed through the South African batting order in the recent Test matches, Ganguly said, he bowled superbly.
"On these pitches, you have to bowl in right areas," he quipped.
On the proposed India-Pakistan series to be played in Sri Lanka, which is yet to get a clearance from the Centre, Ganguly said, "I don't know, it depends on the government... its always been the case ... India Pakistan (series) depends on the government and its not going to change.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
