During a recent discussion, Ravichandran Ashwin shared insightful views about the leadership characteristics of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. He further said that Rohit and current coach Gautam Gambhir share a lot of similarities, with one notable exception of Gambhir being intense while Rohit maintains a light mood amongst the players.
MS Dhoni’s stability and his caring nature towards the players were much admired by Ashwin, “A player who has always stood by me is Dhoni. He makes room for people and gives them an opportunity to be in the team,” stated Ashwin. For example, he said “Jadeja was groomed under Dhoni’s guidance and has now become one of the finest all-rounders.”
Virat Kohli’s leadership was described as very thrilling by Ashwin. As far as he is concerned, Kohli leads from the front. His demands are first fulfilled by him before they can be considered good for his team. Ashwin noted that his leadership is great.
On Rohit Sharma, Ashwin pointed out his tactical strength and ability to maintain a positive team environment. “Rohit is tactically strong and puts in considerable effort before series or big matches by analysing with the analytics teams and coaches. He keeps the environment light and backs his players well,” say Ashwin.’
Besides, he drummed on highly intense manner of leading by Gambhir. “Rohit has some similarities with Gambhir in his captaincy but Gambhir’s case is more intense,” Ashwin remarked.
Also, he spoke dearly about the relationship between him and Rahul Dravid, which was both profound and frivolous. “Rahul and I have a very special bond. In fact we have played club cricket as well as Duleep Trophy matches together. With him becoming head coach our relationship developed further such that I often tease him,” Ashwin disclosed. He said that Dravid was humorous and insightful alike when playing cricket noting that; “Rahul bhai has a great sense of humor and can take a joke about himself. He always says that international cricket is about the moments that matter, like winning a series, not just individual runs or wickets.”
On the perception and critique part, Ashwin had a very realistic outlook. He warned that “some people fabricate perceptions on purpose and concentrate on your down moments.” Not everyone will appreciate you, but he said not to spend your time changing their minds.
