Nasser Hussain Comments on Virat Kohli’s Captaincy

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has referred India captain, Virat Kohli, a 'tinker man', said that at times he tinkers a little bit too much with his captaincy. While speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Hussain said how Kohli has emerged as a captain over the years.

"First thing I would say is he’s his own man. It’s very easy coming after MS Dhoni and think, well, I’ve got to be like MS Dhoni, I’ve got to be this calm, calculated finisher, cool, ice man. Virat Kohli could never be the cool ice man. Virat Kohli wears his heart on his sleeve," Hussain said.

He again added, "If you watch Virat Kohli play football in the morning, I worry about some of his own players because he’s so keen to win, he could do a double-footed tackle at waist height to be honest because he just wants to win and that’s why in a run chase in white-ball cricket, if you ask me to name one person I want in a run chase in white-ball cricket, it would be Kohli because he sees that winning target and that’s all he’s interested in.”

Husain also opened up about India's 'selection plan', saying that India made a mistake in the World Cup 2019 by not researching properly for the No. 4 position. India lost to New Zealand in the semifinal of 2019 Cricket World Cup. And since then, former India captain MS Dhoni has been out of the action.

He added that while coming to a World Cup, they need to know about the crucial No. 4 position when they got so many great batsmen in the team. But they lacked in that position which was needed to be sorted out. However, that might have cost them the game as well. Notably, India have tried many players in that position but hardly a few did well.

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MS Dhoni Helped Me Learn the Art of Reading Pitches and Setting Fields, Reveals Kuldeep Yadav

India spinner Kuldeep Yadav recently said that he learnt the art of reading pitches and setting fields from former India captain MS Dhoni who is known for his guidance to the bowlers, especially youngsters behind the stumps.

"When I started my career, I wasn't good at reading the pitch. I learnt about this aspect after I started playing with MS Dhoni. He would often tell me when I needed to spin the ball or where I needed to pitch it," Kuldeep told Deep Dasgupta in the third episode of ESPNcricinfo Cricketbaazi.

He further added, "Dhoni was very good at setting the field as well. That's why I never paid attention to field placement when I bowled with Dhoni keeping the wicket. He would understand where the batsman could try to hit me and set the field accordingly. It helped me bowl with more confidence. This is something I learnt from him and since the time he has not played ODI cricket, this has gone missing as well."

However, Kuldeep shared that he can set his own field now and he also gave the credit to current India captain Virat Kohli for believing in youngsters like him. Kohli believes in all the youngsters to give them full freedom which is also one of the reasons why Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep have had a successful partnership for India and also become the vital cogs in white-ball cricket.

The left-handed spinner further added that Kohli believes that they can win matches for India. When the captain shows faith in a player, his frame of mind improves and it makes everything quite easy as well. He further revealed that for the captain, Virat Kohli, it doesn't matter if a bowler sometimes gave away 65-70 runs in his ten overs but if he picks up three wickets, the captain will be happy.

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Ishant Sharma Reveals the Bond He Shares with MS Dhoni

India speedster Ishant Sharma has spoken about his bond with former India captain MS Dhoni, citing that their interactions gradually increased after 2013. While speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Ishant said that he started talking to him and understanding him after 2013. He even got to know how cool Dhoni is and how nicely he talks and treats to everyone, especially youngsters.

Ishant further added that Dhoni is exactly like this on the field too and his room is open for everyone. He even shared that he has learnt a lot from the former captain. Recently, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan had said that Dhoni started giving bowlers more control with time.

"He was much more calmer in 2013. Look, in 2007 it was the first time and you understand that when you’re given a big responsibility of leading the country, you always get excited about certain things," Pathan said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected. "Obviously, the meetings were always smaller even in 2007 and in 2013 Champions Trophy as well, there were no differences in terms of 5-minute meetings.”

"But one thing that has really changed and that happens with experiences, when young Mahendra Singh Dhoni became a captain in 2007, he used to run from the wicket-keeping end to the bowler in excitement and try to control the bowler as well. By 2013 came he was letting the bowler control themselves rather he controlling them, so he understood that and he was very calm and in control in 2013 Champions Trophy,” he added.

However, the former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been out of action ever since India had lost the semi-final to New Zealand in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. His absence from the game has led the speculation of retirement as well. But that didn’t last long as he was seen practising for the 2020 Indian Premier League which got postponed for the indefinite time period owing to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak not only in the country but also in the entire world.

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Must Give Virat Kohli Credit for Continuing to Learn from MS Dhoni, Says Michael Hussey

Former Australia cricketer Michael Hussey shared that India captain Virat Kohli should be given credit for still learning from the former India captain MS Dhoni. Dhoni gave up the responsibility in white-ball cricket in 2017 but has been an active part of the side as well where Virat Kohli often seen discussing strategies with him on the field.

"I think you got to give a lot of kudos to Virat Kohli, having someone like MS Dhoni still in the team who’s been, arguably, India’s most successful captain. Sometimes some people would find that threatening to still have that person in the team," Hussey said in an episode of chat show Sony Ten’s Pit Stop on Sony India’s Facebook page.

"But I think that’s where you need to tip your hat to Virat and so you know he’s obviously got the personality to say ‘no, no I would like this guy around. I can learn from this guy, and he’s going to help me get down the better skipper and obviously have a better team’," he further added.

Notably, former captain, MS Dhoni has not played a single game ever since India lost in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand. Moreover, that has led to speculation about his retirement as well where veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh shared Dhoni's days are over.

Harbhajan had told Rohit Sharma in an Instagram live session, "He will 100% play the IPL, but does he want to play for India anymore, that's the first thing we need to find out. Does he feel like it or not? As far as I know, he doesn't want to.”

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni had started practising for the 13th edition of Indian Premier League which eventually got postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in the country and a call is yet to be taken on this league.

Kris Srikkanth Calls Rohit Sharma One of the Best Openers in ODIs

India opener Rohit Sharma is considered as one of the best openers in the limited-overs format in recent times. However, his career took a huge turn when former India captain MS Dhoni asked him to open for India in the 2013 Champions Trophy. Since then, he didn’t have to look back as he became a swashbuckling opener for India. And former India chief selector Kris Srikkanth believes that he is one of the best in the business.

While speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, Srikkanth praised Rohit Sharma, "I think I would rate him as one of the greatest all-time one-day openers in world cricket. What's the greatest quality Rohit Sharma is that he goes for these big hundreds and double hundreds, that is something amazing.

"In a one-day cricket match, you will go 150, 180, 200, just imagine where you are going to take the team to, that's the greatness about Rohit Sharma. He is definitely, probably is in the top 3 or 5 all-time greatest openers as far as one-day cricket is concerned."

Recently, former India speedster Irfan Pathan also said that Rohit is way more talented and shared how the talented youngster used to work hard in his early days even if it doesn’t express from his body language. He also compared him to domestic cricket legend Wasim Jaffer and said they both are kind of same as they look relaxed always, take time to settle down and it looks as if they have a lot of time.

Pathan again said that from outside many used to think he might need to work hard but whenever the former used to speak to him he always talk about the team first and that is why his Indian Premier League franchise Mumbai Indians is the best team in the cash-rich league. Under Rohit’s leadership, Mumbai has won the title four times since its inaugural season.

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Kane Williamson Calls IPL the Biggest Domestic Competition

New Zealand captain and Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Kane Williamson has referred to the Indian Premier League as the 'biggest domestic competition'. He also said that he wanted to take part in the tournament to gain knowledge and learn new things also.

Williamson told Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube show titled 'DRS with Ash', "For us, to see the passion for cricket in India is an amazing thing, it is a brilliant competition and there is a high standard, a lot of other countries have followed suit to start their leagues."

Kane Williamson is one of those players who might not look as destructive as others but they can do wonders if they are in form. As an example, he led his side Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018 in the absence of regular captain David Warner due to his ban for the spot-fixing scandal in South Africa and did it pretty well. However, he also said that leading the IPL team was totally different compared to leading his national New Zealand.

"It is quite different to lead New Zealand and an IPL franchise, initially I did not know what to expect, but like I mentioned it is an Indian competition so you are coming into quite a different culture, I was trying to keep an open mind, there is a lot of experience in all of the groups, it was an enjoyable season to lead the Sunrisers Hyderabad," Williamson said. "The support staff have been there at Hyderabad for a long time and they have enjoyed success, it was about maintaining the style of play that we are known for."

Kane Williamson has so far played 41 matches in the IPL where he has scored 1,302 runs which came at an average of 38.29. However, this year’s IPL has been postponed for the indefinite time period owing to the global pandemic novel coronavirus outbreak. The COVID-19 outbreak has so far claimed several lives across the globe and cancelled or postponed all the sporting events as well.

However, the situation is slowly getting better in some places and England are all set to play their first series against West Indies soon at their own backyard.

Aakash Chopra Names MS Dhoni His Captain of All-time IPL XI Team

Indian Premier League has gained immense popularity ever since it first played 13 years ago. It not only gave quality Indian players but foreign players also. Former India opener Aakash Chopra, who had been a part of the league himself, named an all-time IPL XI.

He chose his openers in the form of David Warner and Rohit Sharma. Both of them are considered as formidable players for their respective countries and has stunning records at the top of the order as well. And, it’s not at all a surprise that they have been chosen for the opening slot. For the next slots, Chopra named India captain Virat Kohli and experienced Suresh Raina.

While Virat Kohli has amassed six tons in the tournament, Suresh Raina is considered as one of the most destructive batsmen in the history of the cash-rich league. Former South Africa player AB de Villiers who is known for his swashbuckling batting, placed after the Indian duo of Aakash Chopra. However, former captain MS Dhoni named the skipper and keeper of this team.

However, the former India opener has named a few renowned pace bowlers including Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga who are the top bowlers in the tournament. For spin department, his choice is veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh and West Indies spinner Sunil Naraine. While Singh was a key player for Mumbai Indian and later started playing for Chennai Super Kings under the leadership of MS Dhoni, Narine is one of the vital cogs in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ camp.

Surprisingly, the flamboyant West Indies opener Chris Gayle, who is known for his explosive batting and has great record best in the tournament didn't make it to the all-time IPL XI team.

Aakash Chopra’s all-time IPL XI: David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Harbhajan Singh, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah.

12th and 13th Man – Gautam Gambhir, Andre Russell