Ajit Agarkar points out the major difference between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

The Indian cricket team has been blessed with successive eras under two captains who have taken the team to new heights. Despite their contrasting personalities and approach to the job, under MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli’s reigns, Indian cricket has become a powerhouse. 

Speaking on an episode of Star Sports’ Cricket connected, former Indian fast bowler Ajit Agarkar gave his thoughts on how the two epoch-defining leaders differ in their approach to the game. “The major difference I see is that MS Dhoni used to depend a lot on the spin bowlers to make his strategies. Virat Kohli, in a slight deviation, has shown more faith in fast bowlers,” Agarkar pointed out.

“Because of that when India plays overseas Test matches, it has made a lot of difference to the results. The performance has been better and we have been able to compete more. Probably this was a stark difference because both had a different way of leading, but both got a lot of success,” Agarkar added.The Indian fast bowling quintet of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and RCB’s own Umesh Yadav have formed a potent attack capable of dismissing the opposition on any surface around the world.

Despite their differences in approach to the game, both Dhoni and Kohli have one factor in common, as Agarkar explains. “Virat Kohli has been a captain for such a long time in all formats and we can see how good the results have been. The methods might be different but if you show faith in your players, then you get good results as a captain,” Agarkar mentioned.

While Dhoni’s stint would largely be remembered for capturing all three ICC limited-overs trophies, under Virat’s stewardship, India has reached the top of the ICC Test Championship table and has achieved the unprecedented feat of beating Australia in their own backyard. India will be looking to repeat the performances of 2018/19 Australian summer when they defend the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

[Hindustan Times inputs]