It Was MS Dhoni Who Groomed Bowlers And Handed Complete Package To Virat Kohli - Ishant Sharma

Indian pacer Ishant Sharma made a bold statement, stating that it MS Dhoni was the one who groomed all the fast bowlers in the team. He added that the keeper-batter handed a complete package to his successor Virat Kohli.

Ishant Sharma mentioned that when he along with other pacers were playing under MS Dhoni, the team was in transition. But when Virat Kohli was handed the baton of the Test team, they were an established unit.

The lanky pacer also hailed Virat Kohli as a leader, stating that the right-hander identified everyone’s traits and gave a clear role to every pacer. Ishant Sharma also revealed that Kohli used to give freedom to the bowlers and told them they could go for runs as long as they took wickets with a new ball. Speaking on JioCinema (as quoted by PTI), he elaborated:

“When Virat was captain, bowling was complete. When we were playing under Mahi bhai, we were in a transition phase. At that time, Shami and Umesh were new, and only I was there. Everyone else would rotate. Bhuvi was also new. There is no match for Mahi bhai as a communicator. But, what he did was groom the bowlers and leave them with Virat. Shami and Umesh, over time, became different bowlers, and then, Jasprit came in.

“So, he got a complete package. The best thing he did was identify everyone’s traits, and he used to talk about one thing with one person and then let them be. First thing, he was aggressive. If you’re bowling with the new ball, you can concede 25 runs in five overs as long as you take two wickets. The important thing was that he gave everyone defined roles.”

MS Dhoni captained the India Test team from 2008 to 2014 but didn’t get much success as a leader in overseas conditions. But it was under him that the likes of pacers Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Jasprit Bumrah made their debuts.

But once Virat Kohli took charge of the Test team in 2014, the Indian team looked like a completely different team. Under him team started winning overseas as well. The pacers almost in every game picked 20 wickets and won the match for the team.

He used to tell me, ‘You have played enough matches. It’s now time for you to step up – Ishant Sharma On Virat Kohli

Ishant Sharma further explained how Virat Kohli urged him to step up as a senior pacer and find a way to pick wickets. He also revealed what then skipper said to Jasprit Bumrah on his debut. He added:

“He used to tell me, ‘You have played enough matches. It’s now time for you to step up. Don’t bowl thinking you have to bowl in a particular area. Now, you have to find ways of getting wickets’.He went to Shami and said, ‘I know you can take wickets, but now I need you to bowl consistently.

“That you can bowl three overs as maidens. He went to Bumrah and said, ‘This is your debut. You do what you do, but consistency is most important in Test cricket’. After 2021, I realized he wanted all of us to think out of the box.” concluded Ishant.