Bharat Arun, former India bowling coach, has now revealed that Virat Kohli would even let MS Dhoni handle small details of the game. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli haven’t just been formidable on the field but have also grabbed attention for their mutual understanding of each other and chemistry off the field.
When Virat Kohli took over the captaincy of the Indian cricket team from MS Dhoni, the transition seemed seamless, all because of the respect the duo carried for each other. Virat Kohli had taken limited-overs captaincy from MS Dhoni in 2017 and Tests in 2014.
Bharat Arun: Virat Kohli Would Often Let MS Dhoni Handle Little Details As There Was Mutual Trust And Respect Between The Duo
Even though MS Dhoni was in the team when Virat Kohli took the captaincy baton in his hands, the two stalwarts worked in tandem for the benefit of Team India. Under MS Dhoni, India achieved wholesome success as the former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman still remains the only international captain to lead his national side to all three major ICC titles (2007 T20I WC, 2011 ODI WC, and 2013 Champions Trophy) during his captaincy tenure.
When MS Dhoni stepped aside as the captain from all formats, in early 2017, Virat Kohli stepped up and took over the reins from his senior cricketer. MS Dhoni, however, remained a vital cog of Virat Kohli-led India’s limited-overs side, having retired from Tests in late 2014, till he played his last match in the 2019 ODI World Cup and decided to hang up his boots the following year.
“Ravi told the importance of having a senior member like Dhoni in the team. It was about giving a lot of respect and he would definitely help him. Kohli understood that of course and it was a seamless transition.
“You could see the respect in the way Kohli would often let Dhoni handle little details and prowl on the boundary in ODIs. That kind of stuff can’t have happened without trust and respect. And Dhoni also saw he was given the space and responded so well,” Bharat Arun said in an interview.
MS Dhoni was even added to the Indian team as a mentor for the T20I World Cup 2021. Although the team didn’t get the desired result as they were ousted from the group stage itself, the idea was to have an influential member in the support staff that all of the players respect.
Bharat Arun: During Ravi Shastri’s Tenure, There Was Absolutely No Agenda
Speaking of Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun said that the former India head coach’s tenure was purely based on cricketing values. Even when the team would not get the results they desired, Ravi Shastri would insist on learning from the mistakes and moving on.
“Fearlessness and honesty. During his tenure, there was absolutely no agenda. The decisions might have been right or wrong, that is irrelevant, but they came from the right place, purely thinking about team values and what we stood for as a team. Honesty encompasses criticism, self-introspection. It was in telling the team that ‘accept that we messed up’. It helped us evolve the team,”Bharat Arun said.
With Ravi Shastri gone, Rahul Dravid has taken over his role in the team as head coach. As for captaincy, Virat Kohli has been replaced by Rohit Sharma in the shortest T20I format.
Ravi Shastri, the outgoing India coach, hoped India would make a strong comeback under Rahul Dravid in the next ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in October. However, India failed to reach the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 after suffering defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand in the Super 12 matches.
Skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri had worked together as captain and coach since 2017 for four years, during which Indian cricket achieved phenomenal success. However, their stint ended on a disappointing note, with India getting knocked out of the 2021 T20I World Cup, failing to qualify for the semifinals for the first time in eight ICC events.