Although Rohit is a better player than Kohli, the Pakistani icon said that he had concerns about his ability to make important leadership decisions.
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Shoaib Akhtar’s Analysis: Dhoni’s Calmness vs. Rohit’s Anxiety and Kohli’s Aggressiveness in India’s ICC Trophy Quest”
In terms of ICC trophy hauls, the years between 2007 and 2013 were undoubtedly India’s most successful. India won three distinct trophies in a span of seven years before experiencing a drought from 2014 until the present. Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar provided a critical analysis of the two periods as India prepares for yet another attempt to end their lengthy wait of ten years for a new ICC trophy. Shoaib Akhtar claimed that the presence of a calm and composed MS Dhoni made the difference for India as opposed to a “panicky” Rohit Sharma and “over-aggressive” Virat Kohli.
In an interview with Backstage With Boria, Akhtar said that the Men in Blue haven’t won another ICC Cup in the previous ten years because their leaders, like Dhoni, lacked calmness. He continued by saying that while current captain Rohit is a brilliant player, he has anxiety under pressure and shouldn’t have been chosen to lead the team.
Shoaib Akhtar Criticizes Leadership Choices: Dhoni’s Calmness, Rohit’s Panic, and Kohli’s Decision-making”
Dhoni was once a person who would take on the pressure of the whole squad, according to Akhtar. “Only a captain has the ability to protect his whole squad. Rohit is a lovely man, but when he assumes the leadership, he becomes paralyzed and panics. Although this may seem harsh, I don’t believe he should have accepted the leadership.
Even though Rohit is a better batsman than Kohli, the Pakistan veteran said that he has his reservations about his capacity to make judgments at key moments in the game and believes that the 36-year-old should also be critical of his leadership.
Akhtar said, “Even Virat Kohli isn’t as skilled as him. He is a traditional hitter with good timing and a range of strokes, but was he suited to serve as captain? I often have myself in doubt. Does he respond well in the majority of urgent situations? I doubt me. He ought to be questioning it as well.
Shoaib Akhtar encourages Rohit Sharma to refute him.
India advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 ODI World Cup, suffered a humiliating group-stage elimination from the 2021 T20 World Cup, and lost to Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final when Kohli served as captain. Early in 2022, Rohit assumed leadership across all forms, and since then, he’s amassed 20 triumphs in 27 ODIs for a winning percentage of 74.07. The streak did, however, include a 2022 World T20 semifinal exit.
Despite the criticism, Akhtar supported Rohit and said he will disprove him at home at the ODI World Cup in 2023, which could be his last assignment as captain of a white-ball team.
The 48-year-old stated, “Rohit has no question the skill to win this World Cup because he has the home fans, the squad, and his talent behind him. He has the potential to achieve that, so prove me wrong and everyone else wrong. However, I believe that since 2013, even with Kohli, India’s leadership has been debilitated by pressure. Rohit panics because Kohli used to be very aggressive.
