If one goes by the records, Virat Kohli clearly seems to be the best Indian captain of all time. Under him, the Indian team has been scaling new heights across formats. Yes, the failure to win the World Cup would rankle but otherwise, the team bears a new look that opposition around the world is wary of.
However, some people are still not convinced that Kohli is the best Indian captain of all time. That may be understandable as comparing cricketers across generations isn't easy. But one man that Kohli can be easily compared to is Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He was, after all, the predecessor to Kohli. However, some are not willing to consider Kohli as being better to even MSD.
Surprisingly, this includes the man who has been Kohli's deputy since his ascension as the captain of the Indian team – Rohit Sharma. Speaking on a chat show, Rohit Sharma declared that it is Dhoni whom he regards as his role model for captaincy.
"Whole India knows MS Dhoni is the one who has been like that (calm and composed). It has helped him to make such good decisions on the field and now you see he is the most successful Indian captain, having all three ICC Trophies with him and many IPL titles as well. He is the best captain India has seen and there is a reason behind it and that reason is him being calm and composed under pressure situation," Rohit said.
This statement may look innocuous at first. But considering that there have been reports of rift between Rohit and Virat, people may read more into this statement than is necessary. However, a more charitable and less sensationalist view could be that even Kohli might be of this opinion and hence, Rohit isn't saying anything shocking.
The Indian vice-captain further added: "I have seen him handle a lot of younger bowlers when they get under pressure, he goes around and puts his arm around their neck and talks to them what he needs to do and what not. You know when a younger player is being treated like that by the senior member of a team, you obviously feel confident and want to deliver for the team."
Unfortunately, Rohit has suffered an injury which has ruled him out of the upcoming ODI and Test series in New Zealand. The Mumbai batsman was made the captain of the team for the fifth and final T20I as Virat was rested for that game. However, he had to go off the field due to the injury. Hopefully, he won't be out of action for long.
