"Virat Kohli Went One Step Ahead Of MS Dhoni": Ex-Star's Huge Praise After South Africa Whitewash India

After India suffered a 2-0 Test series whitewash at the hands of South Africa, former international player Mohammad Kaif recalled the captaincy of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli at home. He praised the duo for backing the core team, which played a huge role in India registering some memorable and crucial wins in the format. Kaif said that Kohli even went a step ahead of Dhoni as a leader in Test cricket. He backed his opinion with stats and the impact of Kohli on the ground as captain.

"Do you know why Dhoni and Virat Kohli became such great captains? Dhoni first backed the players, created an environment where the players felt comfortable, and then backed them. He had such deep knowledge of reading the pitch that he built his team accordingly. He used Ashwin, Jadeja, and even Pragyan, and all of them took wickets. When Dhoni captained the Indian team, there was a presence which gave a big advantage," Kaif said in a video on X.

Dhoni led India in 30 Tests at home, winning 21 of them. Meanwhile, Kohli captained the side in 31 home matches, 24 of which were won by India.

"Virat Kohli went one step ahead of Dhoni. His aggression comes out when the team is in trouble or stuck. Kohli told his bowlers, If you want to play, then you have to take 20 wickets; else, don't come to the ground. You know, Kohli has lost two Test matches at home he captained in 31 Test matches. Kohli believed in keeping the core intact," Kaif said.

"South Africa came earlier when Kohli was the captain. They lost so badly. Virat used his fast bowlers and also backed the spinners after assessing the opposition team. This was his speciality, which is why both Kohli and Dhoni became such great captains," he concluded.

Overall, Kohli led India in 68 Tests - winning 40, losing 17 and drawing 11.

Dhoni captained the team in 60 matches in the format. India won 27, lost 18 and drew 15.

India have been whitewashed a total of three times at home in Tests. Interestingly, the last two have come up in consecutive years since Gautam Gambhir took the charge of head coach in 2024

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team India vs South Africa 2025, India Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma