Kohli leans on Dhoni’s tactical skills
The former captain and current skipper have combined their leadership qualities to good effect in limited-overs cricket
NEW DELHI: This Saturday, they will stand against each other. When Chennai Super Kings meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL) opener, MS Dhoni will lead his Chennai team out with a fourth title in mind and Virat Kohli will be chasing his first.
While a battle of wits between the former India captain and the country’s current skipper is always a thrilling prospect, there is little doubt that India’s tactical game rises several notches when the two play together. In white ball cricket, Dhoni remains a pillar for Kohli to lean on, and his strongest tactical wingman.
In this month’s 5-match ODI series against Australia, which India lost 3-2, Kohli often moved to a sweeper’s role on the boundary in the high-pressure final overs while Dhoni took over, orchestrating the bowling and fielding.
That was hardly the case a few months back, when Dhoni’s continued selection at 37 raised some concerns; he was no longer the old finisher of games. His keeping is still sharp, but the man who won the 2011 World Cup for his country was unable to force the pace in the slog overs.
Dhoni found his way. He tweaked his batting, using his deep experience to compensate for the lack of raw reflexes, and more than once revived the innings with typically calm knocks in Australia at the beginning of the year.
But it was his slog-over leadership skills from behind the stumps that stood out, helping Kohli in a big way.
Be it Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, or old ally Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dhoni shouts encouragements and instructions, moving the fielders around rapidly, while Kohli posts himself on the deep to cut out boundaries. It’s an unusual arrangement, and not everyone is convinced that the
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It comes naturally to MS. He had been captain for a long time. He is behind the stumps so he reads the game better than anybody else.
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ANIL KUMBLE, On Dhoni’s acumen He has seen ups and downs, been part of World Cups and been in IPL finals, that is why he is the go-to man for Kohli. SURESH RAINA, On MS Dhoni
captain should take a backseat. Former India skipper, Dilip Vengsarkar, would prefer Kohli fielding closer and running the show. “I’m not part of the set-up so I don’t know exactly, but watching the matches, I’m surprised that Virat fields at deep midwicket and leaves it to Dhoni to lead the side, which is a bit odd. Virat has to stand in the circle, from where he will get the best view and call the shots, speak to the bowlers,” he said.
Cricket though has seen captains get a helping hand in the past, the most famous being Javed Miandad being allowed to run the show under Imran Khan’s captaincy.
Dhoni has been a natural leader in the shorter formats is a reason why, when his selection was under the scanner, Kohli and the team management backed him to the hilt.
There may be other practical reasons for this set-up: the Indian ODI team’s fielding standards have been on a downward spiral.
Kohli, arguably the best fielder in the side with Ravindra Jadeja, thus may have to post himself on the fence to stop the run flow. However, that leaves him facing a big challenge Dhoni is not playing.
Though yo-yo tests are integral for India teams under the Kohli-ravi Shastri regime, the limited-overs sides don’t brim with athleticism. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are safe rather than sparkling. India play five bowlers and none barring Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and to an extent Bumrah, are very quick.
Umesh Yadav, the best fielder among bowlers, rarely plays shorter formats, which is the case with Ajinkya Rahane too. KL Rahul, another excellent fielder, has not got too many games.
“He is certainly more comfortable, rather saying a better captain; he is probably a lot more comfortable when MS is behind the stumps and then the conversation between him and Virat definitely helps him make the right decisions,” Kumble told Cricketnext, explaining how vital the former skipper is to India’s Cup fortunes.
“I mean it comes naturally to MS. He had been the captain for a long, long time. He is behind the stumps so he reads the game better than anybody else. He is in conversation with the bowler on the kind of lines he needs to bowl, the pace the bowlers need to bowl. And also with the field placing,” Kumble said. “Virat certainly depends a lot on MS in one-day cricket, to have those proper field placings.”
Suresh Raina, a key member of the squads under Dhoni for India and CSK, knows the value Dhoni offers.
“The amount of runs Dhoni scored in Australia and New Zealand and the kind of guidance he gives to youngsters in the team, especially bowlers, augurs well. He has seen a lot of ups and downs, been part of quite a few World Cups, and has also been there in IPL finals -- that is why he is the go-to man for Kohli.”
India begin their World Cup campaign on June 5, against South Africa in Southampton. if