"I think Virat will win more games than me" - When MS Dhoni made a big statement on Kohli's captaincy credentials
MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are undoubtedly two of India's most successful captains in international cricket. During Dhoni's tenure, the Men in Blue won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Under Kohli, India failed to win any ICC event, but were a dominant force across formats. He was the captain when India won their first Test series in Australia in 2018-19.
Kohli took over as India's Test captain after Dhoni announced his shock retirement from the red-ball format during the 2014-15 tour of Australia. A couple of years later, he also became India's limited-overs captain after Dhoni stepped down as white-ball leader. After handing over the baton, the Ranchi legend made a big statement and predicted that Kohli will win more matches than him as captain.
"That's the kind of potential they have, that's the kind of experience they have. If it is [about] the numbers, I think Virat and this team will win more games than me in all the formats," Dhoni said (via ESPNCricinfo).
Hailing his successor's attitude and hunger for success, the former India captain had praised Kohli for always wanting to improve and making the best of his chances even when the opportunities were limited. Dhoni elaborated:
"In Indian cricket, we've seen more often than not that a lot of cricketers, say, when they get five games and if they are out of the side, they're always worried about the two games they didn't get. The best part about Virat is he wanted to improve in whatever chances he got. And that is the reason he is so successful right now.
"If he scores a 60 or 70, he wanted to score a 100. He wanted to be there at the crease when India are chasing. So, I felt that was the key factor for me, and right from the start we have interacted a lot. He has improvised his cricket and his thinking," the veteran keeper-batter added.
Under Kohli, India finished runners-up in the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2021 World Test Championship (WTC). The Men in Blue also finished as semifinalists in the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.
MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli: Comparing their stats as captain
Dhoni led India in 332 matches across the three formats of the game. He won 178 matches and lost 120. Further, six matches ended in a tie, 15 games were drawn, while 13 produced a no-result. The 43-year-old ended his stint as Team India captain with a win percentage of 53.61.
Kohli led India in 213 matches across the three formats. Under him, the team won 135 matches and lost 60. Three matches ended in a tie, 11 were drawn, while four produced a no-result. The 36-year-old finished his tenure as leader with an impressive win percentage of 63.38.