IND vs ZIM 2022: “Their numbers and achievements are far greater” - KL Rahul says unfair to compare him as captain with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma

KL Rahul, India’s captain for the ODI series in Zimbabwe, refused to compare his leadership skills with those of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. He pointed out that Dhoni and Rohit’s achievements are far greater, adding that he is nowhere close to them as a leader.

Rahul will be making his comeback in international cricket with the ODIs against Zimbabwe. He last represented India in February during the white-ball series against the West Indies at home.

The right-handed batter was initially not part of the Zimbabwe series, but was added to the squad as captain after BCCI’s medical team gave him the clearance.

At the pre-match conference, Rahul was asked if he felt his calm captaincy style was similar to that of Dhoni and Rohit. Refusing to draw any comparisons, he replied:

"I don’t know. I can’t even compare myself as a leader with these guys. Their numbers and achievements are far greater. What they have done for the country, I do not think anyone should be put in the same breath.”

He, however, admitted that he has learnt a lot from the two, having played so much cricket with them. Rahul added:

“When you play together for years, you tend to pick up the good qualities of your teammates. This is what I have done too."

Asked to elaborate on his thoughts on captaincy, the cricketer stressed that he wants to be his natural self. He explained:

“When a captain is true to himself, that spreads to the players. I am a calm person, so I can’t go out there and try to be something else. I believe that it is not fair to myself and to the team and to the game.”

The opening batter led India during the ODI series in South Africa at the start of the year. It was not a memorable stint as the visitors were thumped 3-0.

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“I am only a captain once you cross the boundary line” - KL Rahul

On what it means to lead a young group of players, Rahul admitted that it’s a great challenge for him. He, however, pointed out that he knows most of the players well since the same lot has been on the scene for a while now.

The Indian captain concluded by saying:

“I always look at myself as a player first. I am only a captain once you cross the boundary line. We’ve played together for a long time with the same group. We’ve played a lot of IPL cricket. There’s a lot of respect for the talent everybody has. It’s a great challenge for me.”

The India-Zimbabwe series will kick off with the first ODI on Thursday (August 18). All three matches will be played in Harare.