Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni? Who should be leading Team India? This is one question buzzing around everywhere, where a cricket fanatic is present. It is going to be a long debate so let’s begin with MS Dhoni.
MSDhoni is one of the most successful captains to lead the Indian team. He took over from when Sourav Ganguly left. He took over as a captain in the year 2008, at the age of 27 years. People criticised him and didn’t think he could be as successful-a-captain as Dada. He was there to prove then all wrong.
The boy from Ranchi was all set to begin the journey of his life. He won match after match, series after series, tournament after tournament and finally, heart after heart. He completed the ICC grand slam by winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. He is the only captain to do so in cricketing history and is only one of the many records he has to his name. Indian cricket has grown and flourished under his captaincy.
There are particular characteristics that differentiate Dhoni’s leadership style from most of the captains. It is these traits that have made MS Dhoni an outstanding captain. His temperament has been the stand out quality, cool in the most serious situations, handling them like a magician handling his wand. His playing style is sheer power, with impeccable placement. India has been fortunate enough to have played under such a gem of a player. Indian cricket wouldn’t have been where it is today if it wasn’t Dhoni.
Virat Kohli, apart from being every girl’s heart-throb, is the star who has risen just perfectly. A typical modern day cricketer, Virat Kohli plays his game aggressively, bares his emotions loudly in public, yet retains the element of maturity that forms an integral part of every great player. Anil Kumble said he had thought hard before calling Virat Kohli the best under-22 player in International cricket that would rate as perhaps the best compliments he has received.
It is also proof of Kohli’s transformation as a player. He has matured under greats like Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and ofcourse the greatest of them all and his role model, Sachin Tendukar. He is shaping into one of the best players with the current crop of players like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja. His aggression has often attracted a lot of criticism but that’s his style. He knows how to use it perfectly to his advantage. Kohli had led India in the U-19 ICC WC 2008 which they won. He also has led the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
So he has a good experience and can handle the responsibility well. Virat Kohli has had a few rough patches in his career so far, the most recent being falling to James Anderson 4 out of 5 times in the last test series hosted by the English. He was an unsuccessful captain of the RCB Galacticos too.
So should Dhoni continue as captain, or is it time for Kohli to step up and take charge from where Dhoni ended? Honestly, everybody is going too hard on Dhoni. He has had his rough patches, but he has emerged out stronger than ever, he is a fighter. Dhoni has had issues regarding fitness and has had a couple of injuries. If given some time, he’ll live up to the expectations and we will see the old Mahi in no time.
On the other hand, Kohli’s record as a captain is outstanding, but he still needs a couple of years to be prepared. His aggression has led him to great heights, and downfalls. He still needs to learn a lot under MS Dhoni and shape up perfectly. As a conclusion – Dhoni needs to work on his skills and work harder than ever. At the age of 26, Kohli can wait for his tme.
Comment what you think about this and drop honest opinions, thankyou.