Veteran India pace bowler Ishant Sharma has shared his perspective on the contrasting captaincies of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. He mentioned that Dhoni effectively nurtured the Indian bowlers during his tenure as captain, providing Kohli with a well-prepared bowling unit. While Dhoni led India to victory in 28 out of 60 Test matches during his captaincy from 2008 to 2014, Kohli took over and achieved remarkable success as well, winning 40 out of 68 matches he captained.
Ishant praised Kohli’s captaincy but highlighted the smooth transition from Dhoni’s leadership, which left Kohli with a strong bowling lineup. According to Ishant, Kohli displayed a keen understanding of his players’ strengths while leading the team.
He stated: “He was the best. When Virat was captain, bowling was complete. When we were playing under Mahi bhai, we were in a transition phase. At that time, Shami and Umesh were new, and only I was there. Everyone else would rotate. Bhuvi was also new.”
“He was the best” – Ishant Sharma on MS Dhoni
“There is no match for Mahi bhai as a communicator. But what he did was groom the bowlers and leave them with Virat. Shami and Umesh, over time, became different bowlers and then Jasprit came in. So, he got a complete package. The best thing he did was identify everyone’s traits, that he used to talk about one thing with one person and then let them be.”
Ishant Sharma also mentioned that Kohli exhibited an assertive leadership style and consistently urged his bowlers to secure wickets.
He emphasized that Kohli’s aggression as captain was notable. For instance, even if a bowler conceded 25 runs in five overs while capturing two wickets, it was acceptable. The crucial aspect was Kohli’s ability to assign clear roles to each player on the team.
He concluded: “You have played enough matches, it’s now time for you to step up. Don’t bowl thinking you have to bowl in a particular area, now you have to find ways of getting wickets’. He went to Shami and said, ‘I know you can take wickets, but now I need you to bowl consistently. That you can bowl three overs as maidens’. He went to Bumrah and said, ‘This is your debut, you do what you do, but consistency is most important in Test cricket’. After 2021, I realized he wanted all of us to think out of the box.”
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