Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan untangled the characteristics that define and differentiate the captaincy of India’s celebrated stars, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. In his record-shattering career, Dhawan was a part of the two captaincy eras that lifted the status of Indian cricket to a sheer force of dominance, redefining the standards of cricket. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, ‘Gabbar’ debuted for India in the international circuit. While with his long-time friend Virat, Dhawan contributed to turning India into a modern-day giant across all formats.
For the former explosive southpaw, Dhoni’s calm demeanour and experience of making his team perform at optimum level stood out the most.
“All of them have their own characters and nature. Dhoni is very relaxed. He doesn’t talk much. He talks during the meeting. Even before the match, every captain talks. He is very relaxed. Even after the match, he doesn’t talk much. So Dhoni bhai’s presence was very strong, and of course, when I played under him, he had already become an experienced captain and had achieved so much already. He knew in and out about how a team is run and how a player is prepared,” Dhawan said in an exclusive interview with ANI.
Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India played 332 matches across all formats, winning 178, losing 120 and drawing 15. With an aura of calmness around him, Dhoni led India to glory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Under Dhoni’s leadership, India completed a historic whitewash over Australia in the 2012/13 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, featuring at the pinnacle of India’s distinguished achievements.
Dhawan, who played an invaluable role in India’s success in the famous whitewash and many other series, sees the calmness aspect of Dhoni’s captaincy as his strength.
“No, Dhoni bhai has never… I have never seen him shout. That was his strength. That’s what he brings to the table. He is absolutely amazing. But when you look at his eyes, you get scared,” he said.
After the end of Dhoni’s era, it was yet another transition phase for India, with Virat beginning his reign with relentless intensity and aggression.
In his seven years of rule, India faced a calamity considering a drought in ICC silverware. Yet India, under Virat’s rule, sent the fans into a frenzy with their brand of cricket.
With Ravi Shastri at the helm, the animated celebrations, the undying attitude and an unwavering dedication changed the cricket’s landscape, especially in the Tests.
The Indian team with a belligerent spirit, driven by fitness and proactively in pursuit of victory were the key aspects of his captaincy. There were many firsts in Virat’s captaincy, but India’s ascendancy in Test cricket was a sight to behold.
“Virat is intense. He has a different energy. Virat has changed the culture of fitness a lot because he is so fit, so that culture came that you have to be fit, our yo-yo test was done. So Virat moved that thing forward. At the same time. He kept on getting mature as a captain as well. When he captained in his first test match and later, with that experience, one keeps getting refined. So Virat’s intensity is quite strong,” he said.
Under Virat’s era of ruthless aggression, India climbed to the top of the ICC Test rankings and stayed there for 42 consecutive months from October 2016 to March 2020. Overall, Kohli led India in 213 matches, won 135, lost 60, and 11 ended in a draw.
Topics mentioned in this article
