The six-year adventure of MS Dhoni as Test captain came to an end on December 30, 2014, which came as a shock to Indian cricket fans. MS Dhoni is one of the greatest in the world at marshaling his troops and getting the best out of them on the field, and young cricketers can learn a lot from him.
When Kohli was already captaining India in Test matches, Dhoni stepped down from the limited-overs leadership, leaving Kohli in charge of all three formats.
Some of India’s top performers on international platforms now began their careers under MS Dhoni, although they didn’t have much success at first. Virat Kohli, despite not winning trophies, is one of India’s finest test captains. Some players were big successes during MSD’s tenure, while others have picked up their game after Kohli was named captain.
Here we look at a few of those players:
KL Rahul
In limited overs cricket, KL Rahul made his debut for MS Dhoni in 2016 against Zimbabwe, scoring an undefeated century in the first match. However, he was unable to solidify his spot in the team later owing to inconsistent batting performances. During India’s tour of Australia in 2014, the right-handed batsman who also maintains wickets made his Test debut. Following that, he played 36 Tests for India, scoring 2006 runs at an average of 34.59. The Bangalore-based player is a household name in Indian cricket these days, but he wasn’t as well-known when MS Dhoni was the captain. Under Virat Kohli, KL Rahul has become of the most important players on the Indian team and has played many memorable knocks.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya was called up for India’s limited-overs side following his brilliant performance for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, demonstrating that he has a lot of potential to become India’s number one all-rounder. He made his India debut under MS Dhoni’s leadership, and he appeared to have discovered the answer to India’s lengthy hunt for a fast-bowling all-rounder. At the age of 22, Pandya made his Twenty20 International debut for India against Australia on January 27, 2016, taking two wickets.
On October 16, 2016, Pandya made his One Day International (ODI) debut for India against New Zealand at Dharamshala. Pandya was initially selected to bowl at number seven, and he was required to deliver 10 overs as the fifth bowler. However, after MS Dhoni’s retirement, Pandya greatly improved his batting and was moved to the number six spot, allowing India to play six bowlers and two superb all-rounders. Virat Kohli was pleased with Hardik’s contribution to the squad in terms of balance and finishing ability.
Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja rose through the ranks with Virat Kohli in U-19 cricket, and after a successful start to his IPL career, he made his limited-overs debut for India in 2009 under MS Dhoni. Under the same captain, Jadeja made his test debut in 2012, but he never appeared to be the world-class all-rounder he is now. He has put a lot of effort into his batting and is now a wicket-taking bowler in any format.
He is now one of the top fielders in the world, and he has a significant effect on the team’s performance in at least one of the three areas. He was in and out of the side since he was so young. After losing his spot in the Indian limited-overs squad after the 2017 champions trophy, he has made significant contributions in all forms under Virat Kohli.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal played his first ODI for India during the same 2016 Zimbabwe trip that Kl Rahul made his debut. He went on to have a good series and eventually made his T20I debut on the trip. Despite the strong maiden performance, Chahal had to wait because the spin pair of Ashwin and Jadeja had already secured a berth in the team. Nonetheless, after Virat Kohli took over as captain, Chahal’s stock rose as a result of his efforts, and he is now a crucial member of India’s limited-overs team.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin has been India’s finest bowler in the longest format for the past decade, and his statistics in test cricket back that up. Ashwin originally played for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, where MS Dhoni was a big supporter of him, and then he made his ODI and T20 debuts for India under MS Dhoni’s guidance. In his early days on the subcontinent, he was quite effective, but he struggled in foreign surroundings. But Virat Kohli brought out the best in him in foreign settings as well, and he is now one of the top spinners in the world.
