Dhoni and Kohli

At the onset, let me clarify, I am no cricket buff and this article isn’t about cricketing history, batting styles or records of the individuals concerned. This is to explore a completely different aspect of the 2 cricketing greats - their Captaincy styles.

I have never followed or played cricket. I never understood, how people can spend so many hours of their lives watching it. It seems to me to be a sheer wastage. But I don’t want to argue that. The first match that I remember watching was the India Pakistan T20 world cup final. I remember it very well. I have always liked Dhoni. His batting style, his captaincy style. I like the calm exterior with the mind running at a thousand miles an hour. My cricket seeing was tied to his rise and fall. He got more involved into leadership responsibilities and he started scoring less, thereby losing at least 1 spectator. On the other hand, is Kohli, a complete opposite in terms of leading the team. Where Dhoni is calm and composed, Kohli is more effervescent. 

Both lead from the front, but one shields the team and the other attacks on behalf of the team. Sports, all sports warrant a certain amount of aggression, but I find that the amount of aggression shown by Kohli is a bit OTT. What is more interesting is that they both play under each other from time to time. It’s like two alpha males caught in the same cage and co-existing. Its new. If not new, it’s certainly unique and refreshing to see two diametrically opposite personalities co-existing. 

I feel the media hypes a bit about the energy oozing out of Kohli. The Indian selectors too play a part. The opinions change too fast and they swing too much. I think, calmness is necessary to lead. Nature prefers stability at the end of the day. Natural balance is restored and the systems are in equilibrium and stable state only when all excess energy is thrown off. Kohli carries a lot of it. Dhoni had gotten equilibrium, Kohli has gotten disruption. But the nation is enjoying it and lapping it up with both hands. 

I think our teams have matured enough today to have such a great amalgamation. They are acting like professional sportspeople should. I am sure their egos clash from time to time. Both of them effectively doing the same job in different formats of the game. No matter how many nuances we would like to come up with, end of the day, the task is same to quite an extent. 

Will Dhoni prevail, since he brings stability? I don’t know. He seems to have gone recluse and accepted that his highs have already come and gone.

Will Kohli prevail with his gusto macho attitude? I don’t know. Captaincy is more a calm natured job. Maybe he will tone down, maybe the team will tone up. Only time will tell. 

For now, let’s enjoy the helicopter shots. We might have only a few left.