MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli: Ravi Shastri points out BIG DIFFERENCE between former and current Indian captain

Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has compared Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in his book ‘Stargazing: The players in my life’.

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India coach Ravi Shastri, who is in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, has seen MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli from close quarters as a coach and a commentator. Shastri and Kohli have taken Indian cricket to newer levels and have been extremely successful as a pair. The India coach compares the two and reckons Dhoni was calm as a leader whereas Kohli is on the face and likes to lead from the front.

“As a captain, he’s (Kohli) matured a lot since taking over from MS Dhoni. Unlike MS, who was calm and tranquil in the most difficult circumstances, sizing up opponents and situations astutely and coming up with offbeat moves, Virat’s approach is more ‘lead-from-the-front’,” Shastri writes in his book ‘Stargazing: The players in my life’.

Shastri also reveals that Kohli is fired up all the time and is consistently striving for that extra edge.

“Virat is consistently striving to give that extra edge, which in turn can give the team some advantage in the contest. He thrives on adrenaline and is fired up all the time, which some see as effrontery to cricket’s etiquette, but he is what he is,” Shastri writes.

A lot of people credit India team’s incredible success to Kohli-Shastri combination at the helm since 2015. “People often ask me whether Virat and I are kindred souls. I don’t know. We are separated by a quarter of a century in age, and have vastly different pursuits, passions and pleasures in life. Where cricket is concerned our mindsets converge: playing any sport is about self-belief and wanting to win, not settling for being the second best.

“He (Kohli) is a master batsman and an entertainer. The runs he makes, and the way he plays, brings in the crowds. In my opinion, he’s the biggest boon to cricket so far this millennium,” Shastri concluded.