New Delhi: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh feels former India captain MS Dhoni and current skipper Rohit Sharma are completely different in their leadership styles. Harbhajan, who played under the captaincy of both Rohit and Dhoni, shared an interesting anecdote from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to explain how Dhoni’s way of leadership was much different compared to that of Rohit.
Dhoni and Rohit are two of the most successful captains in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with five titles each. They are also the only captains to have won the T20 World Cup for India. While Dhoni led India to glory in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, Rohit-led India won the T20 World Cup 2024 undefeated after beating South Africa in the final earlier this year.
Despite being immensely successful in their respective tenures as captain, Harbhajan explained how Dhoni and Rohit differed in their captaincy styles. The former spinner said Dhoni was someone who let his players learn from their own mistakes by giving them the freedom to play the way they wanted, while Rohit is a good communicator, who always conveys to his players what he wants from them.
“Dhoni and Rohit are completely different leaders. MS Dhoni will never go to a player and will ask him what field you want. He will let you learn from your mistakes,” Harbhajan said on the podcast ‘Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli’.
Harbhajan shared an anecdote from his time playing under Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL. Harbhajan played for CSK for three seasons from IPL 2018 to 2020 and won one title. He revealed how Dhoni didn’t ask Shardul to correct his length despite the pacer conceding boundaries against Kane Williamson because he wanted the bowler to learn from his mistakes.
“I remember a game where I was fielding at the short fine leg and MS Dhoni was keeping. Shardul Thakur was bowling and the first ball Kane Williamson hit him down the ground for a boundary. Next ball, same length and Williamson played the same shot. I went to MS and asked him to tell Shardul try and bowl different length. MS said to me ‘Paji If I will tell him now, then he will never learn. Let him learn by himself.’ His thought process was that when Shardul will get hit for boundaries, he will learn it quickly. That was MS Dhoni’s way,” Harbhajan recalled.
Speaking about Rohit’s captaincy style, Harbhajan said he would wrap his arms around youngsters’ shoulders and tell them that he has confidence in his abilities. Harbhajan also stated that Rohit talked to all his players and communicated to them what he wanted from them.
“Rohit is very different. He will go and talk to each player. He is someone who will put his arm around your shoulder and tell you what he wants from you. He will give you that confidence that yes you can do it,” said Harbhajan.
Rohit Sharma to return against Bangladesh
Rohit was last seen in action when he led India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. The Indian skipper will make his comeback in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Rohit will lead India in the two-match series. The Hitman will be hoping to continue his good form with the bat ahead of a long Test season for India.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh explained why he feels MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are completely different as captains. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
