Unlike MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli can intimidate teammates, says this former RCB coach

Former South Africa and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) coach Ray Jennings is of the opinion that Indian cricket has undergone a drastic change after Virat Kohli took over from MS Dhoni as captain of the team.

Jennings pointed out that Kohli, unlike his predecessor, can be "a fear factor" in the dressing room, which is not desirable, especially when young cricketers are part of the team.

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The 63-year-old tactician, who had worked with the Indian captain during his stint at RCB, added that India should find someone who can "teach Kohli to be a better version of himself". Notably, Jennings was also the coach of the South Africa U-19 team, which lost the ICC U-19 World Cup 2008 final to the Delhi batsman-led India team.

"As captain, I think, he is still not at his best. The Indian cricket system has to feed off Virat Kohli. Going from MS Dhoni to Kohli has been a drastic change. Dhoni is so calm and Kohli is the complete opposite. He can be intimidating the dressing room and sometimes his teammates can wonder who Kohli really is," Jennings told the Press Trust of India.

He added: "There can be a fear factor in the dressing room and you don't want that with so many youngsters coming into the side. Indian cricket, thus, has to find people who can help and influence Kohli into ways of improving and becoming an even better leader.

"With age, Kohli will get better and calm down a lot naturally. He will not be so aggressive and in your face all the time.

"But in certain situations, when things are not so calm or even just to take that fear factor away from the dressing room, who will teach Kohli to become a better version of himself?"

Graeme Smith had expressed similar concerns over Kohli's captaincy

Jennings' comments come weeks after former South African captain Graeme Smith expressed his concerns over Kohli's captaincy. The left-handed batsman even said the 29-year-old might not be a long-term captaincy option for India.

Smith had also said Kohli needed someone who can "constructively challenge" him in the dressing room.

Known for his forceful personality, Kohli often comes up with knee-jerk reactions to various situations. He was criticised for continuously tinkering with the team, especially in the longer format, after the Asian giants lost to South Africa in the recently-concluded Test series.

Also, historian Ramachandra Guha, who had quit the board's Committee of Administrators (CoA) last year, had recently said that the BCCI officials "worship" Kohli more than the Central Cabinet "worships" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Guha had also pointed out the "veto power" senior cricketers enjoy in Indian cricket when it comes to important decisions, including the appointment of the coach.