The veteran spinner explained the difference between the leadership styles of both the captains.
Rohit Sharma (L) and MS Dhoni. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have been the most successful captains in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While Rohit has led the Mumbai Indians to as many as four titles, Dhoni has 3 IPL wins against his name as the leader of the Chennai Super Kings. Among a few other cricketers, veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has played under both the captains in the league has now explained the difference in the way they go about things.
Bhajji, as Harbhajan is often called, explained the difference between the leadership styles of both the captains.
“He is not a captain who says, do this, do that. He wants you to do what you know you can do,” the veteran spinner told Cricket Monthly.
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“Bowl what you know you can. If you can bowl six offspinners, do that. Yes, he has nudged me at times — from behind the stumps or at change of overs — saying, this guy is trying to do this or will try this. But he never tells me what to do,” he added.
Harbhajan explained with the example of Shardul Thakur, who was leaking a lot of runs in a match in Pune.
“I went to Dhoni and told him, “Why don’t you tell him [Thakur] to change the angle or push a fielder back?” As if he had all the time in the world, Dhoni said to me, “Bhajju pa, if I tell him anything now, he will get confused. Khaane do (Let him get hit),” said Harbhajan.
Harbhajan spent years under Dhoni as captain and has even played under Rohit at the Mumbai Indians.
“Rohit also gives a lot of freedom to the bowlers but thinks wickets at all times. He will not interfere with your bowling. If you want an attacking field, he will give it. It is not compulsory that if a left-hander comes, you get a slip whether the balls spins or not. Then at times we have had a short leg and two slips,” Harbhajan explained.
(With inputs from IANS)
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