Virat Kohli quit T20I captaincy after India’s 2021 T20 World Cup disaster. Soon, BCCI also removed him from ODI captaincy as well, making Rohit Sharma the all-format captain as well. Rohit Sharma led India to the T20 World Cup win. Then, he led India to the Champions Trophy 2025 glory also. Speaking on R Ashwin’s YouTube show, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy opined on the differences in Kohli and Rohit’s captaincy as well.
He said, “Virat is a true leader. When you just see him, when you just observe what he is doing and you must have also noticed the match against Pakistan, you were also there. We lost first two wickets to Shaheen Shah Afridi. But when Virat came, he stepped down and hit Shaheen for six and it was so inspiring and motivational, but how he is giving it back and all this. So Virat is exceptional, as in the way he can he can cheer up everyone. So the main thing was whenever I spoke to him his answers were very motivational and in that thing and when I spoke to Rohit Sharma, it was very tactical. So it was two different parts.”
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R Ashwin also backed Varun Chakaravarthy’s Rohit Sharma vs Virat Kohli captaincy debate claim as well. Ashwin, who was the host, also backed Varun’s explanation and pointed out that Rohit is more tactical as a leader. However, both Kohli and Rohit recently announced their Test retirements, having left T20Is following India’s win in the T20 World Cup last year. Moreover, they both retired from Test cricket, and the ongoing India vs England Test series has seen a new leader at the rein, with Shubman Gill appointed as skipper and Rishabh Pant as his deputy as well.
“So one is inspirational, the other one more tactical, which I kind of resonate. Because Virat goes and does things. He is there in your eye line, the way he trains, the way he practices, what he does. But Rohit does understand a lot more tactics in terms of what he does. Everything is tactical in terms of field placement, this batsman, this shot and all that,” Varun Chakaravarthy concluded.
