Ravichandran Ashwin keeps Rohit Sharma right up with MS Dhoni among best Indian captains, says he is a great leader

Ravichandran Ashwin has been an Indian cricket veteran from past many years and is considered one of the sharpest cricket brains in the cricketing world. He has played under many captains in the IPL, as well as in the Indian cricket setup. 

He made his debut under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and also played under him in the IPL for CSK. He also was an integral part of the Indian setup in red-ball cricket under the leadership of Virat Kohli and now when Rohit Sharma is the captain, Ashwin is not only playing in Test matches but has also played two World Cups under him in consecutive years.

So, we can say that Ashwin has ample experience and the cricketing acumen to compare the leadership of the captains he has played under and give the fans an insight into what these personalities are as a captain and how they bring out the best in the players under them.

While speaking to his fans on his YouTube channel, Ashwin gave an insight into the captaincy styles of Rohit Sharma and what he does better that makes him the best choice for the captaincy role in this Indian setup. Ashwin emphasized the fact that while MS Dhoni is termed as the best captain, Rohit Sharma is an outstanding leader and understands the intricacies of his players very well. 

On his YouTube channel Ashwin said, “If you take a look at Indian cricket, everybody will be telling you that MS Dhoni is the best captain. (But), Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person, (and) he understands every single player in the team. He knows the likes and dislikes of each of us and has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each player personally,"

Rohit walked the talk in the ODI World Cup 2023

Ashwin also emphasized that Rohit led the team by front in the ODI World Cup 2023 and took the brave task of taking on the bowlers himself at the start of the innings. He also spoke about not getting ample opportunities in the World Cup. He said that understands that the team combination is paramount and he would have thought about it a hundred times before tinkering with the playing XI.

He said, “Rohit walked the talk in the ODI World Cup, giving India splendid starts at the top in almost every match, including the final. But, it was the Australian team that emerged triumphant in the summit clash.”

He further added, “As far as I playing the final is concerned, the team combination and all is secondary. Firstly, it's about empathy, (and) I keep stressing it a lot. It's like standing in someone else's shoes and looking at things from his/her perspective. Had I been in Rohit's shoes, I would have thought 100 times about altering the (winning) combination. It was going alright for the team, so why rest a fast bowler for three spinners?”.