Harbhajan Singh Opens Up on the Difference Between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli
Kohli has perfectly played his role as a leader. And his aggressive approach has made Virat Kohli the player he is today. If Virat Kohli was soft like MS Dhoni, I don't think he would have scored so many runs," Singh said, while comparing the two.
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, two greats of Indian cricket are two absolute opposite characters on the cricket field and Harbhajan Singh, who recently announced retirement from all forms of the game, shared his comparison on the two. He had words of support for Kohli, who was recently removed from ODI captaincy, saying that the latter would not have been able to score so many runs had he been 'soft like MS Dhoni.' Rohit Sharma Posts Cheeky Message for Mohammed Shami After Latter Reaches 200 Test Wickets During IND vs SA 1st Test (Check Post)
While speaking about Kohli's feisty attitude on the field, the former India spinner said, "Virat's temperament totally suits the Indian setup. We need players like this to take the team forward and Virat Kohli did that. Earlier, when team would go to Australia, we would think about how to save the Test series. Under Virat's captaincy, there has been a change where we think about how do we go and win the Test series in Australia," as quoted by NDTV.
Further revealing more about Kohli's temperament, he shared an anecdote, stating, "I remember in one of those series, where he had scored a lot of runs, although India had lost the Test series. India had to chase some 400 runs in that match and Kohli had scored a big century. So, when he returned to the pavilion I told him that the match could have ended in a draw, but he replied that 'there is no importance of a drawn Test, either you win or you lose and the day we learn to fight, we will learn to win and someday we will."
The 41-year veteran spinner and 2011 World Cup winner also said that had Kohli and Dhoni had the same approaches, the former would not have had been able to achieve so many records in cricket. He said, "And that is the change you have noticed in this Indian side. They went to Australia and beat them twice, they played well in England and I hope they beat South Africa in this series, although this South African side isn't that great. So, Kohli has perfectly played his role as a leader. And his aggressive approach has made Virat Kohli the player he is today. If Virat Kohli was soft like MS Dhoni, I don't think he would have scored so many runs."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 29, 2021 12:04 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).