Kohli versus Dhoni discussion is a smack on the face of Indian cricket
Each individual is different, thus to believe one captain is preferable to the other seems weird
One of the simplest things for pundits and critics would be to compare leadership styles. Be it politics or sport, almost day in and day out individuals dissect direction styles.
We live in an age, where news is indeed instant that you do not have to really wait for the morning newspaper today.
These days, the in-thing in sport will be to compare the captaincy fashions of the two India cricket captains in different formats. As well as the attractiveness of this activity, meaningful or not, is to additionally rope in well known cricketers who are compelled to make statements and evaluations.
Everyone understands Ravichandran Ashwin, voted the best spinner in 2015, plays under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli and the off-spinner has his take on it. The anxiety here is Ashwin is getting captured in making comparisons which is not really needed.
The entire world of cricket views Ashwin as a straightforward man who is a simpleton and plays cricket with passion. Yet, when media and print scribes ask him a question on captaincy fashions, he does reply.
In recent interviews, Ashwin compared Dhoni and Kohli’s captaincy fashions, which did offer an insight into what goes on beyond the boundary. As a player like Ashwin is in the best position to tell us really, all this makes for interesting reading.
My purpose is, captaincy and leadership, be it any sector of life, isn’t easy to compare. In politics, we’ve got experts who debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of working since he took over in May 2014.
In sport, comparisons always take place but at a time when we have split at home in cricket, controversies are guaranteed to be raised. The way the Indian team performed in the Test series and against South Africa at home in Sri Lanka, everyone is raving about Kohli the captain.
But then play like his captain. Each human is distinct from the other, so to believe in a disagreement between two captains one is better sounds outrageous.
Kohli is the one for the future and his commitment to the team is fantastic. He’s open in the way he doesn’t believe in defensive measures and communicates. All this has worked till now but how Kohli directs the Test team abroad will supply us pointers to his leadership.
The India versus Australia collection Down Under has begun on an ominous note with Mohammed Shami returning home using a grade two hamstring injury before the real action has started. Obviously, after the 2015 World Cup, Shami has been ran into international cricket as well as the damage was done.
Given Dhoni’s cool style of leadership, he WOn’t get flustered that one significant bowler in his pace attack has been ruled out. Those who think Kohli is not worse than Dhoni need to comprehend what the ODI skipper has done till now.
Winning the World T20 in 2007, winning the 2011 World Cup at home and leading the team into the semi-finals last year in Australia demonstrates his credentials as a fantastic leader in the structures that are shorter. And that’s maybe why he has been retained skipper till the World T20 at home as well. For any skipper, taking choices is something natural. Dhoni has made it a custom of doing something unconventional, be it in altering the bowler or promoting a batsman. He was called the guy with the Midas touch, though in his last days as Test captain he was lambasted by all and sundry.
If you look at a number of the old captains in Indian cricket, each had a distinctive style. Sunil Gavaskar was not offensive and Kapil Dev lead with amazing energy. When India were bowled out for 183 in the World Cup final against West Indies in 1983 at Lords, Kapil motivated the teammates like a commander in the Army and had a small assembly. Mike Brearley was a better captain when compared to a player and directed England with panache in the ’80s while Imran Khan nearly had a dictatorial strategy when Pakistan was directed by him.
The purpose is, in each era, the direction fashion work differently. Take a look at modern football, regardless of the star footballers who are paid in millions of dollars, what finally matters is the manager who is able to bring on the magic. Sir Alex Ferguson left it tough for Louis van Gaal and his successors David Moyes.
One look at leadership in Indian tennis in the Davis Cup and you’ll find how Naresh Kumar was more proper and a disciplinarian compared to Jaidip Mukherjea. In recent times, Anand Amritraj is designed to be a captain who stands by the players and never lets controversies get blown out of proportion.
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