We saw calmness in MS Dhoni’s era; we are seeing aggression in Virat Kohli's era: Irfan Pathan

Virat Kohli succeeded MS Dhoni as captain of the Indian Test team in 2014 after the wicketkeeper retired from Test cricket. Since then the 31-year-old has captained India in 55 matches, resulting in 33 wins, 12 losses and 10 draws. With this record, Virat is the most successful captain to lead India in Tests. On the other hand, MS Dhoni was one of the finest captains that the world of cricket has ever seen and one of Indian cricket’s all-time greats. 

What are the differences between the former captain and the current captain in the approaches of leading the team has been a major talking point for some time now. This time, it was the former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan who pointed out the difference in styles. 

Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Connected chat show, Irfan Pathan pointed out, "In Dhoni's era, we saw a calmness and in Virat Kohli's era we saw aggression. You need both these qualities to be successful."

The recently retired, MS Dhoni was known as 'Captain Cool' for his cool temper on the field, while his successor Virat is renowned for his aggressive nature.

"A player, how he uses his calmness and his aggression to perform better, we have seen in both the eras," Pathan highlighted.

Let us take a look at Captaincy record of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli across formats

Test Cricket

ODI Cricket

T20I Cricket

“We have seen MS Dhoni come at the end and win us matches from difficult situations and we have seen Virat Kohli’s amazing record in Test cricket,” he further said.

Regardless of their nature, both captains are successful because they let players play their natural game and not force someone to do something outside their comfort zone.

"Going to Australia and beating them there. Their fast bowlers who always play aggressive cricket can dominate anyone, but Virat Kohli went there and dominated their bowlers in their own backyard both as a player and as a captain," Pathan signed off.