World Cup winning captains MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have contrasting styles when it comes to managing players, says former India spinner Harbhajan Singh. Under Dhoni, India won three ICC titles including T20 World Cup (2007), ODI World Cup (2011) and Champions Trophy (2013). After Dhoni stepped away from captaincy before announcing international retirement, India came close to winning an ICC title on a number of occasions but it was Rohit under whose captaincy they ended the drought by lifting the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Harbhajan played under several top captains including Sourav Ganguly, Dhoni and Rohit and feels knew how to get the best out of each player despite their different natures.
He says Dhoni let’s player learn from their mistakes but Rohit approaches each one individually and gives them the confidence to do their job.
“Dhoni and Rohit are completely different leaders nature-wise,” said Harbhajan Singh on the podcast Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli. “MS Dhoni will never go to a player and will ask him what do you need. He lets you learn from your mistakes.”
Harbhajan then gave an example from his playing days for IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings when Shardul Thakur was being clubbed for boundaries by Kane Williamson.
“I remember a game when we were playing for CSK. MS Dhoni was keeping and I was fielding at short fine leg,” Harbhajan recalled. “Shardul Thakur was bowling and the first ball Kane Williamson hit him down the ground for a four. Next ball, same result. I went to Dhoni and asked him that he should tell Shardul to try something different.”
“MS replied, ‘Paaji, if I tell him today, then he will never learn.’ His thought process is: ‘Let him take the beating, he’ll learn by himself.’ That was MS Dhoni’s way,” he added.
