“There is some similarity in the leadership styles of Dhoni and Rohit” - Pragyan Ojha

Former Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has admitted that there are some similarities in the leadership styles of Rohit Sharma and former skipper MS Dhoni. Ojha pointed out that both Rohit and Dhoni are known for backing bowlers to the hilt and thus giving them the confidence to perform.

On Sunday (July 17), Rohit emulated Dhoni by winning a bilateral ODI series in England. Dhoni led India to victory during the 2014 tour. The win in Manchester in the third ODI meant that the Men in Blue clinched both the T20I and ODI series.

Following India’s series win over England, Ojha was asked whether he finds any similarities between Dhoni and Rohit’s captaincy. During a discussion on Cricbuzz, he admitted:

“There is some similarity in the leadership styles of Dhoni and Rohit. A bowler does well if he gets the confidence from the captain. If the captain doesn’t back the bowler, he sometimes looks lost out in the middle.” (sic)

Ojha elaborated while praising Rohit’s captaincy:

“Kuldeep (Yadav) and (Yuzvendra) Chahal have often said that Rohit gives them cushion and confidence. Hardik (Pandya) also credited Rohit for backing him and giving him a sense of confidence. This is a similarity between all successful leaders."

He continued:

"Batters write his own destiny. But when it comes to bowlers, their destiny is in the captain’s hands. When a senior player or captain backs you on the ground, you get a lot of confidence.”

Indian bowlers were highly impressive in the ODI series as they bowled out England in all three matches.

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“Leading Gujarat must have been of immense benefit for him” - RP Singh on Hardik Pandya’s renaissance

While discussing the topic of leadership, former Indian left-arm seamer RP Singh admitted that captaining the Gujarat Titans (GT) to victory in IPL 2022 has boosted Hardik Pandya’s confidence immensely.

Sharing his thoughts on the all-rounder reviving his career in stunning fashion, Singh opined:

“Hardik has carried the confidence from GT’s win into the batting. When you lead, you need to show better discipline. Hardik has ticked all the boxes and leading Gujarat must have been of immense benefit for him. In IPL, 70 percent of games are do-or-die situations. He has done it often there and is doing the same for India now.”

Pandya led from the front for GT during IPL 2022, smashing 487 runs and claiming eight wickets in 15 matches. He was adjudged the 'Player of the Series' in the ODIs against England for scoring 100 runs and picking up six wickets.

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