Both stalwarts combined have scored more than 25,000 runs in the ODI format.
One of the most beautiful things about leadership is that there’s no one way to do it. Two people can lead in completely different styles, and both can end up on the right side. Such has been the story for Indian cricket in the recent past. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the most successful players for the Men in Blue in the ODI format, have left the captaincy shores.
While the right-handed opener from Mumbai led the Indian side to the ICC Champions Trophy title a few months ago, Kohli had stopped walking out for the toss since 2021. Both stalwarts are set to feature in the three-match ODI series on Australian soil, starting October 19. Shubman Gill, who led India in the five-match Test series in England, is the new ODI skipper.
Both Rohit and Kohli led India in multiple ICC tournaments in the 50-over format. World Cup, Asia Cup, Champions Trophy – you name the tournament, and they have it on their resume.
Rohit handing over the baton to Shubman Gill marks the end of an era. The team will now begin preparations for the 50-over World Cup in 2027. But amongst fans, the debate about captaincy goes on. The team enjoyed a successful stint under both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but who led the team better? Glad you asked!
The two Indian stalwarts were successful in their respective captaincy stints, but the fact that they had different methods cannot be neglected. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were different in their temperament and approach. When the ODI captaincy was handed over to Rohit, it did much more than just the transfer of the post.
Kohli, as a player and also as a captain, was known to wear his aggression on his sleeve. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player believed in making things happen rather than waiting for the opposition to make errors. To add to that, his core belief was to rattle the opposition through building a strong foundation of pacers. Though this was more visible in the Test format, the core principles and template of captaincy hold true in the 50-over format as well.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma was known to be a lot more tactically sound and had a tinge of composure. Moreover, his stint as the ODI captain will always be remembered for his trophy cabinet. The 38-year-old helped India lift the Champions Trophy this year, beating New Zealand in the Final. Moreover, Rohit led India to the Final of the World Cup in 2023 as well.
However, one pattern which was visible in the captaincy of the two Indian legends was that India stumbled in the knock-out stages when Kohli was at the helm. The ODI No.3 was able to build a formidable bilateral record. But the Men in Blue were eliminated from the knockouts on both occasions when the Delhi player led the side in an ICC tournament.
On the other hand, the opener did quite well in similar phases. He won the ICC Champions Trophy this year. The only disappointment which may give Rohit sleepless nights would be the ODI World Cup loss to Australia in 2023 at home. India were the team to beat in the entire tournament, but lost only when it mattered the most. Though trophies alone cannot justify the greatness of a captain or player, they help to set a guideline to illustrate success to an extent.
Context is the magic which adds flavour to any set of numbers. Though Rohit Sharma has won more matches as a skipper in the 50-over format, Virat Kohli led the team in two ICC tournaments, both of which were played on English soil.
A good metric to begin with are the ICC tournaments.
Virat Kohli led the Men in Blue to the Final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. The team went without losing a single game in the group stages and won the semi-final as well. However, the Final was where things went haywire.
The India captain chose to bowl first on a flat pitch, and Fakhar Zaman was given a lifeline. Needless to say, he smashed a prolific hundred. After the 30th over, the bowling changes became quite predictable, and the shoulders began dropping under pressure. Chasing a target in excess of 300 in a big Final, that too against arch-rivals Pakistan, was never going to be easy. Mohammad Amir sent Kohli packing cheaply after a thick edge took the ball to point. As a result, India lost by a massive 180-run margin.
One thing which worked in Rohit Sharma’s favour was that both of the ICC tournaments which he led in, were played in the subcontinent. He could bank on the effectiveness of the spinners. Rohit did wonderfully well by taking the initiative to go berserk at the top throughout the tournament. His powerful batting took the team to blistering starts on multiple occasions.
However, the only similarity between the two campaigns was that the team lost the Final after being unbeaten for the entire tournament previously. Rohit’s tactical acumen was at its best in the tournament, except for the Final. The way he rotated his bowlers was pleasing to watch, and field placements were pretty good throughout. Having said that, his approach in the Final was quite defensive, and it needed some more aggression from a leader. India was never going to win the game by taking it deep, and it required an extra man in the circle, which Rohit failed to do.
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Virat Kohli was appointed as India’s full-time ODI skipper in January 2017, after former skipper MS Dhoni stepped down from the post with a successful stint. The Men in Blue were ranked fourth in the ICC Men’s ODI Rankings at the time of his appointment. However, after the team reached the Final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, the Blues jumped a spot above.
To add to that, India hosted Australia and New Zealand in quick succession in October of the same year. After comprehensive victories in both series, the team was promoted to No.2 in the ICC ODI rankings. Having said that, by the end of 2021, India stood fourth in the rankings.
Rohit Sharma was appointed as full-time ODI skipper in December 2021, after which the team consistently stayed fourth for a few months. However, 2023 is when things began to change. In their preparation for the ODI World Cup in 2023, the Blues won a lot of games.
To be precise, India played six ODI series in 2023 and ended up winning five of them. The only one they lost was against Australia in March 2023. As a result, despite the heartbreaking World Cup loss in November 2023, the team stood first in the ICC rankings. Purely in terms of the rankings, Rohit Sharma has been quite successful in maintaining a long streak of dominance.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been prolific as leaders of the nation in every format, more so in ODIs. Kohli will go down as one of the best skippers India has ever produced in Test matches. However, Rohit’s situational acumen and numbers outweigh Kohli in the 50-over format.
That being said, Virat Kohli led India in two ICC 50-over tournaments on English soil. Though the team did not lift the trophy on both occasions, the fact that they ended up reaching the Final and the semi-final speaks volumes.
On the contrary, if one needs to go by the number of trophies and matches won, Rohit Sharma will be the clear pick as the better captain. At the end of the day, trophies and titles are what the game is played for.
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