MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli lead India's Best Captain Race; Rohit Sharma thrown out by veteran

Former India legspinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan feels that MS Dhoni is the best white-ball captain and Virat Kohli is the best red-ball captain. Sivaramakrishnan praised Kohli's attacking brand of cricket but hailed Dhoni's calm demeanor as well.

Both Kohli and Dhoni have led India for a long time and have been successful during their respective captaincy tenures. While Kohli was known for his aggressive brand of leadership, Dhoni was more calculative and calm on the ground.

Dhoni started leading Team India in 2007 and established himself as a cool and shrewd captain. Meanwhile, Kohli always looked to be the face of the opposition with his aggressive style. Both the players were different in their approach but were highly successful.

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Laxman Sivaramakrishnan picks Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni as best captains

While speaking on Cricket Petta, Sony Sport's Tamil cricket podcast, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan hailed Virat Kohli for his attacking mindset and claimed that a player must show his emotions on the field citing the example of West Indies great Vivian Richards

“(Virat) Kohli’s attacking attitude is something that he enjoys and celebrates. You should show your emotions. You shouldn’t be like a machine on the ground and you should have an attitude like Sir Vivian Richards who would intimidate bowlers with his eyes," Sivaramakrishnan said.

"Kohli’s attacking attitude and Dhoni’s calm demeanor. For me, the red ball's best captain is Virat and the white ball is MS Dhoni," he added.

Records of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni as India's captain

Virat Kohli is the most successful Test captain for India. The 36-year-old has led the team in 68 matches in which India has won 40 matches at a win percentage of 58.82.

Under his leadership, India won its first-ever Test series in Australia, which was a first for an Asian team as well. MS Dhoni is the second most successful Indian Test captain with 27 wins in 60 matches at a win percentage of 45.

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni is India's most successful captain in ODIs and the second most successful captain in T20Is. He has led India in 200 ODIs in which the Men in Blue have won 110 matches at a win percentage of 110. Kohli is fourth on this list with 65 wins in 95 matches.

Under MS Dhoni, India won three ICC titles - the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Dhoni is the only captain in the world to achieve this feat so far.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan on the best captain during his playing days

Talking about his playing days, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan named Sunil Gavaskar as the best captain in terms of strategy-making and Kapil Dev in terms of instincts. He cited the example of the 1983 World Cup when Kapil gave an extra over to Madan Lal which resulted in Viv Richards' dismissal.

“Sunil Gavaskar was the best captain, I played under. He was very good with strategy and analytical approach. Kapil Dev was a very instinctive captain. He will go with his gut instinct and he gave an extra over to Madan Lal in 1983, that’s instinctive captaincy," claimed Sivaramakrishnan.

Under the leadership of Kapil Dev, India won the 1983 ODI World Cup in a stunning fashion by defeating two-time defending champions West Indies in the final. Sunil Gavaskar was also a part of that title-winning squad.