Former India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan said both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are different in the way they approach their captaincy but that both of them are effective when it comes to getting the job done.
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan said it is difficult to read MS Dhoni as he doesn’t show a lot of emotions on the field but the Chennai Super Kings star is a bowler’s delight. Virat Kohli, according to the former spinner, is more aggressive and instinctive as captain.
Virat Kohli took over from MS Dhoni after the wicketkeeper-batsman called it quits from Test cricket as early as 2014. Under Kohli, India have been extremely dominant at home and have travelled better than before in Test cricket. After Dhoni stepped down as captain in 2017, Kohli stepped in as limited-overs captain as well.
While an ICC trophy has been eluding India under Virat Kohli, the Asian giants have been playing an impressive brand of cricket. Kohi though has a better win percentage in ODIs as he has led the team to 62 wins in 89 matches.
“Both are different captains, Virat is more of an aggressive and expressive kind of captain and MS is quite laid back and you can hardly read from his facial expression and what his body is speaking about. But MS Dhoni is more of a bowlers’ captain which is a big advantage for any bowler,” Sivaramarkrishnan told The Times of India.
“Virat Kohli is a very proactive and instinctive captain. It gives him a lot of energy and he is still getting better and better. Best part about Kohli as captain, he leads from the front, not only scoring runs with the bat but also the energy that he possesses.
“Virat Kohli on the other hand is a livewire with his energy because he always has some ideas for bowlers. The approach is important but what is more important is the result.”
Meanwhile, Sivaramakrishnan also pointed out that Virat Kohli doesn’t fear a defeat and pushes for win, more often than not. Kohli showcased this trait in the very first series he took over as captain as India refreshingly troubled Australia in their tour of 2014-15.
Under Kohli, India registered their first-ever Test series win in Australia when the tourists dominated a 4-Test series in 2018-19.
“Virat Kohli doesn’t mind losing games because he plays to win. That’s what Australia did in the 90s and 2000s, that’s why they were so successful. You just want to go, try and win a game and in the process if you lose it’s part and parcel of the game,” Sivaramakrishnan said.
