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Rohit Sharma has admitted that he was a fan of Virat Kohli’s leadership during his tenure as India’s Test captain, praising the former skipper for what he achieved with the team. Rohit also opened up about the mutual respect between the two long-time teammates and how they continue to exchange advice about their batting.
Kohli captained India in 68 Tests between 2014 and 2022, while Rohit led the side in 24 Tests between 2022 and 2024. Speaking in an interview with JioStar, Rohit reflected on Kohli’s contribution as Test captain and explained how their conversations have continued despite the two now spending less time together away from cricket.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's record as India Test captain
Virat Kohli remains the Indian captain with the most Test matches under his leadership, having captained the side in 68 Tests between 2014 and 2022. India won 40 matches during his captaincy, while suffering 17 defeats and drawing 11. His win percentage stood at 58.82, with India recording results in 70.17% of the Tests he captained.
Kohli's record stands out particularly because of the number of matches in which he led India. His 40 victories are comfortably ahead of the other Indian captains, with MS Dhoni next on 27 Test wins from 60 matches as captain.
Rohit, meanwhile, captained India in 24 Tests between 2022 and 2024. Under his leadership, India won 12 matches, lost nine and drew three, giving him a 50% win percentage. India achieved a result in 57.14% of the Tests Rohit captained.
While Rohit’s tenure was considerably shorter, his record still places him among India’s notable Test captains.
“I appreciate what he has done as Test captain” - Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have shared the Indian dressing room for more than a decade, and their relationship has evolved alongside their respective roles in the team. Rohit made it clear that there has always been appreciation and respect between the two players.
He particularly highlighted what Kohli achieved after taking charge of the Test side, while also revealing that their conversations have often involved helping each other improve their batting.
“Appreciation, appreciation if something good has happened, it has always been there from both sides. I appreciate what he has done, you know, when he took over as a captain with the Test team, especially. It was brilliant, what he did with that team.”
Rohit added that their discussions have not been limited to captaincy or leadership, with both players regularly offering each other advice about their individual games. He said:
“At the same time, there has been a lot of discussion about how both of us as individuals can improve our own game.”
He explained that Kohli would sometimes point out things about his batting, while Rohit would do the same when he noticed something in Kohli’s game.
“So, sometimes if something is happening with my batting, he comes and mentions it, sometimes I mention it. So that conversation always keeps going, so it's not different,” Rohit Sharma added in the same interview with JioStar.
Rohit Sharma takes a sly dig at Virat Kohli living in London
Rohit also offered a light-hearted explanation for why the two are not meeting as frequently as they used to. With Kohli now living in London, the distance between their homes has made their off-field meetings less frequent.
Rohit Sharma jokingly pointed out that their proximity has changed, while also acknowledging that both players now have more time to spend at home than they did during their busiest years of international cricket. He said:
“Although yes, now we meet very rarely because his house is quite far from mine. And every month, or every month and a half, an ODI series happens, so because of that it's less.”
“Otherwise, until a year ago, every 5-7 days we were on tour, so we didn't get much time at home. Now both of us are spending more time at home, which is always nice.”
Also Read: Watch: Rohit Sharma slips horribly while getting off team bus, Virat Kohli concerned
