previous bowler S Sreesanth compared current Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s leadership abilities to those of previous captain MS Dhoni.
Despite the fact that both players have led their teams to five IPL championships, MS Dhoni defeats Rohit Sharma in ICC crowns. India’s 2007 T20, 2011 ODI, and 2013 Champions Trophy victories were all commanded by the previous captain.
Meanwhile, Rohit has impressively guided the team, falling just short of victory. At 36, he steered India to the semi-finals at the T20 World Cup in the previous year. This year, under his leadership, they reached the final stages of the World Test Championship (WTC) and the ODI World Cup.
Sreesanth praised Rohit’s ability to back his bowlers and fielders even if they have a bad day, comparable to Dhoni.
“He’s a street-smart cricketer and he’s somebody more like Dhoni bhai who doesn’t just get off the scene straight away,” Sreesanth said. “Even if the bowling’s not that great, even if the fielding’s not that great he makes sure he backs up the fielders, he backs up the fielders. It’s a great trend.”
MS Dhoni has captained India in 332 games across forms, winning 178, while Rohit Sharma has won 78 of his 105 games as captain of the Men in Blue.
The current captain also played alongside Dhoni during India’s victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.
“He’s been there as their brother and been there as their best friend” – Sreesanth on Rohit Sharma
Sreesanth used the just finished 2023 World Cup to promote Rohit Sharma’s exceptional captaincy abilities. The former bowler thought Rohit’s ability to interact with the players distinguished him as more than just a captain.
Rohit also led the squad from the front and finished the tournament with 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of more than 125.
“Even in the World Cup, the players who were not playing he was going to them asking for suggestions. Yes, he’s the captain but he’s been there as their brother and been there as their best friend. So it’s very important. So I think that’s one of the best qualities a captain can have,” said Sreesanth.
India’s team had an amazing streak in the home World Cup. They crushed all nine round-robin games, as well as the semi-final. The difficult part? They stumbled in the end against Australia.
For the next South African tour’s white-ball leg, Rohit Sharma has been rested after a demanding few months. Against the Proteas in the two-match Test series, he will be back to captain the team.