Rohit Sharma vs. Virat Kohli: Who is the better IPL skipper?
Comparisons between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rife since their international debuts.
The debate only got stronger with the advent of the IPL, especially after the duo took over the captaincies of their respective franchises in 2013.
Ahead of IPL 2021, however, Kohli shockingly announced his decision to step down as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after the end of the season to focus more on his batting.
Despite the decision, the former Indian skipper didn't have the best season this year, averaging only 22.73. But neither did his Team India colleague. The Hitman, who leads the Mumbai Indians (MI), scored a paltry 268 in IPL 2022 with an average of 19.14.
Irrespective of their poor showing, they remain two of the biggest draws in the competition. But from a captaincy standpoint, the Hitman has a slight edge over the former RCB captain.
With that in mind, let's look at three reasons why Rohit Sharma can be considered a better IPL skipper than Virat Kohli.
#3 Arguably more approachable
Having a captain who is approachable is a blessing, especially for the youngsters. One of the prime reasons behind MS Dhoni's popularity as captain was his backing of players.
Much like Dhoni, Rohit Sharma is also known for backing the youngsters in the team. Hardik Pandya, for instance, wouldn't have been the star he is had he not received the backing of the Hitman in his initial days.
Pandya, who recently led the Gujarat Titans (GT) to their maiden IPL title win, had a batting average of 6 when he started out. But the MI skipper's belief in him played a huge role in transforming him into a world-class finisher inT20s.
According to MI's director of cricket Zaheer Khan, Sharma is a player's captain and has an excellent rapport with the players in the team.
“Rohit is a player’s captain. He’s been phenomenal for Mumbai Indians over the years as a player and a leader. The fact that he dedicates personal time to each individual and is very approachable, makes him a role model and a standout leader."
The same was also mentioned by Team India batter Shikhar Dhawan during an interview. The left-handed batter lauded Rohit Sharma for his easygoing personality, which made him 'very approachable'.
Shikhar Dhawan (in TOI) said "Rohit Sharma is very approachable, which is his best quality - he is a gem of a person, smart, relaxed - reads the game so well - he is the same person even after becoming the captain - has a very good helping mentality".
#2 He has a more balanced personality
Virat Kohli is famous for wearing his heart on his sleeve every time he takes the field. Well before he was made captain, Kohli was already grabbing headlines for the aggression with which he played the game.
While his aggressive brand of cricket has helped Team India as well as RCB register some memorable wins, there have also been times when it hasn't gone right.
Like Kohli, Rohit Sharma also likes leading from the front. But unlike the former RCB skipper, he seems to be in better control of his emotions. The MI skipper is extremely adept at absorbing pressure during a match, thereby allowing him to marshal his troops better than Kohli.
Given the Hitman's easygoing nature, his constant presence around the bowler often helps the latter calm his nerves during an intense IPL fixture.
#1 Rohit Sharma has the most number of IPL trophies as a captain
Rohit Sharma led MI to their maiden IPL triumph during his very first year as skipper of the franchise.
Batting first, MI set an average target of 149 for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to win the final.
However, Rohit Sharma's tactical dexterity and good bowling changes made sure to dent CSK's chase from the very beginning. The Super Kings' chase eventually ended at 125/9, giving MI their first IPL trophy.
The two teams faced each other again in the final of IPL 2015. Riding on Lendl Simmons' 68 off 45 balls and Rohit Sharma's quick-fire 26-ball 50, MI set an imposing target of 203 for MS Dhoni's team. CSK faltered once again as they managed to score 161 runs in 20 overs.
MI went on to lift the trophy on three more occasions, displacing CSK to become the most successful franchise in the history of the cash-rich tournament.
The only captain to win the @IPL 🖐🏼 times 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆💙
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Compared to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli's tenure as skipper in the competition hasn't proven to be as lucrative. Barring qualifying for the final in 2016, Kohli-led RCB haven't been able to make much of an impression in the tournament.