Kohli and Dhoni, the Simlarities, Differences and the Role of Good Communication

Dhoni and Kohli during Australian Test series

One problem with MS Dhoni was he didn’t have the art of communication. That was a bit strange, given he had other good diplomatic skills about him. But the art of getting your point across effectively to the media, and to his team members was never something he quite mastered.

That was something he learned the price of in hard way. Good communication helps not only in providing clarity to your players but also helps in image-building - a necessary attribute if you want to remain the captain of a cricket team in a country such as ours.

As a result he quite often came across as confused and fuddled his points. If the question was a straight one regarding a recent loss, he would start with a generalized description of how the match went, thus playing on the patience of media and the public. He would seemingly cite excuses, dawdling about toss, weather, injuries and other factors. While aiming to focus on the bigger picture (of building up his team in a methodical way) he would forget to acknowledge the universals: namely, results are what matter at the international level.

While an honest apology or acceptance would soften public ire, he would hem and haw and choose the most horribly wrong phrases. It was all the more pitiable, for he was never that kind of an individual at heart. He always would strike you as an honest guy who would give the task his absolute hundred percent. But that was just the problem - the lack of clarity with words. With Virat Kohli, the problem had never existed.

A good case in point would be the reaction of the two skippers, regarding their respective fast bowlers. Despite the current fast bowling unit being relatively more successful in Australia and England, than the comparatively “less fast” unit of 2011, based on a few poor performances in the low and slow pitches of Bangladesh, Dhoni publicly almost derided Umesh Yadav and co. It looked a pathetic sight as if the pressure had clearly gotten to him. In his haste to deflect some of the (decidedly unjust) scrutiny, he confusedly grabbed on the first straw he could find.

Contrast that with Kohli’s comments on an Ishant Sharma that got suspended because of his bad behavior. “An angry fast bowler is a captain’s delight”, says he confidently. He knows exactly where backing his profligate teammates would pay off rich dividends. Well-articulated and assured, he uses words as weapons - precise, well-directed and knowing exactly where to hold back.

He is aware of the image he wants to create of his team. And there isn’t a single person, from the media to the players, to the backroom staff who doesn’t follow what the captain’s on about. A good captain doesn’t only need to execute his own skills and strategize on the field, but he needs to be assured of the brand that his team represents. Good leadership is about drilling in the concepts of this brand (in Kohli’s case high-risk, aggressive cricket) to teammates, as well as to the world outside.

MSD, of course was a calm and collected man, someone who always looked in control. But it was times of adversity, which showed his limitations as a leader. His interviews and conferences would appear less convincing, bordering on excuse-making. Kohli, in contrast, does not mince words about his or the team’s failures where he has to (for e.g right after the Galle Test in Sri Lanka). This makes him more credible to the public eye. In this day and age, where aggression and boldness are the watchwords in sports, Kohli ensures a slick efficiency both outside and within. He can hold his own both with performance and words, and can rile up his teammates when he needs to. This makes him a compact force, bringing a harmony to his team brand both off the field and on it.

Every captain, brings a set of differences from the previous one, as well as takes some inheritance from them. Kohli would do well, to inherit some of the tactical acumen of Dhoni, and the way in which the former Test captain trusted his gut instinct while making important calls. Dhoni’s calmness ensured a mind-over-matter approach, and the young Test skipper also needs to learn how to keep aside emotions in important decision makings, like his predecessor.

But he realizes very clearly how he’s different to MS, in many respects. He makes no bones about the fact that he’s a much more passionate, and expressive individual on the field, who likes to lead every confrontation and back his teammates like a bullish street-fighter. He realizes also that he wants the team to be a fearless unit, who goes for wins, and doesn’t fear losing in the process.

Gone are the long moments of indecisiveness on the field, especially in Tests abroad, where matches would drift waiting for something to happen. Kohli’s proactiveness ensures an impact or perish-while-trying approach. It is the Steve Waugh school of cricket, mixed with the modern sporting philosophy around the world. “Tentativeness” or caution, are disposable. It is the firm era of “fortune favors the brave”.

But the young skipper also needs to learn where to draw the line, when it comes to aggression. Letting it get to the head will obviously not help anybody. The team also needs to understand how to play “hard, but fair”. For instance, there were a few too many unsavory incidents in Sri Lanka and often dismissed batsmen would be sent-off gracelessly. Surely such unnecessary ugliness is not required in Test cricket. Kohli would do well to remember, MS had earned the respect of both teammates and opponents, with his conduct on the field, and that was by no means meek!

Also, in his attempt to create a safe environment for his teammates he seems to be aiming for a utopia where everybody would be friends and still be successful. Unfortunately, that can never happen in the practical world of competitive sport if the same criterion for accountability has to apply to everybody.

These are still early days, but the manner in which the Indian team made a comeback from being 0-1 down in Sri Lanka, showed some positive signs that Indian cricket has not seen in quite a while in Tests. If some of the slot issues in the side are sorted out, and Kohli manages to ascend from confidence to confidence, Indian test cricket might finally be moving towards some good days ahead!