Veteran India pace bowler Ishant Sharma has opened up on the difference in captaincy between Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni and he also stated that the former India wicketkeeper groomed the bowlers well enough for the star batter as well. However, Dhoni was the Test captain from 2008 to 2014 and led India to win 28 of the 60 matches as the captain. He announced his retirement from Tests during India’s 2014 tour of Australia and handed the reins over to Kohli as well.
However, Kohli is considered to be one of India’s most successful Test captains of all time as he led the team to famous series wins in Australia. Kohli won 40 of the 68 matches he led the side, the best for an Indian player as well. While speaking to JioCinema, Ishant said that Kohli was the best captain but admitted that he had a complete bowling lineup ready for him which was made by Dhoni. He also added that Dhoni groomed the bowlers well and left them for Virat Kohli.
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“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. 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 Iet them be,” said Ishant Sharma.
Ishant Sharma also said that Virat Kohli was aggressive as a captain and always asked for wickets from his bowlers as well.
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First thing, he was aggressive. If you’re bowling with the new ball, you can concede 25 runs in five overs as long as you take two wickets. The important thing was that he gave everyone defined roles. He used to tell me, ‘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,” concluded the speedster.
