'I would say that he is the next MS Dhoni': Suresh Raina on Rohit Sharma's captaincy
Indian southpaw Suresh Raina believes that Rohit Sharma is the next MS Dhoni in terms of captaincy because of the approach he has taken while captaining his side. The 33-year-old is impressed by Sharma's composure under pressure and the way in which he builds his teammates' confidence.
Rohit Sharma is also the most successful IPL skipper, winning 4 titles with the Mumbai Indians. Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Mayank Markande and Suryakumar Yadav have thrived under his captaincy at the Mumbai Indians and most of them have even gone on to represent India in the shortest format.
Speaking on The Super Over Podcast that was hosted by South African all-rounder J.P. Duminy, star India batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues and podcaster Liam Flint, Suresh Raina said:
"I would say that he is the next MS Dhoni for the Indian cricket team. I have seen him, he is calm, he likes to listen, he likes to give confidence to the players and on top of that, he likes to lead from the front. When the captain leads from the front and at the same time gives respect to the dressing room atmosphere, you know you have it all."
Both Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni are similar in the way they captain their teams: Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina has played under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma when India won the Asia Cup in Bangladesh and subsequently understands the way he operated as a skipper. He has also played under MS Dhoni both for India as well as the Chennai Super Kings and was an integral part of both teams during Dhoni's reign as captain.
Having known both Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni closely, Raina believes that both have very similar styles of captaincy as both like to back their players and are very patient when it comes to listening to their teammates. He said:
"Around him (Rohit Sharma), players enjoy the intensity, they enjoy his aura. I think when you enjoy the aura of a player, you like to be positive and I think that is what he is good at. He is one of the top-most, after MS Dhoni, who was brilliant. He has won more (IPL) trophies than MS, but I would say they both are very similar. Both of them, as a captain, like to listen. When your captain is listening, you can solve a lot of problems, you can solve the mental problems of the players. So in my book, they both are wonderful."
IPL 2020 is likely to be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 8. The Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, and the Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, will also resume their fierce rivalry.