Gambhir, 38, is now a politician after a cricket career which spanned 58 Tests and 147 One-Day Internationals and spoke to Star Sports’ Cricket Connected about his former team-mate Kohli.
Kohli may be a two-time ICC Cricketer of the Year (2017 and 2018) and the number one batsman in world cricket but Gambhir said he had “lots (to achieve), in a team sport”.
“You can keep scoring your own runs,” Gambhir said.
“There are people like Brian Lara who’s got so many runs. People like Jacques Kallis who have won nothing, Virat Kohli, at the moment, has won nothing as a leader.
“He has a lot to achieve. He can keep scoring his own runs but for me, in a team sport, until the time you win those big trophies, you will never be considered… probably you will never fulfil your entire career.”
Kohli, 31, has been India’s Test captain since the 2014-15 tour of Australia when MS Dhoni stepped down, while he’s led the ODI side since 2013.
However, under Kohli, India hasn’t won any major ICC titles, along with his Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“As a leader, the most important quality which he needs to have is start taking players as they are,” said Gambhir, who captained India in six ODIs.
“Don’t compare them, or don’t compare their intensity to his intensity. Because every individual is different.
“Every individual has its pros and cons, his own strength and weaknesses. That is what makes a team sport really, really fascinating.
“You’ve got to gel everyone together and try to bring the best out of everyone else.”
India are one of the major contenders for the T20 ICC World Cup which was scheduled to be played in Australia in October and November but may be postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.