It’s been a while since MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy baton to Virat Kohli in all three international formats. Although Kohli has surpassed Dhoni in several captaincy records already, for many the Ranchi-born cricketer still remains the best skipper ever to have led the Indian team.
When former England captain Michael Vaughan was asked to pick the top international captains of this era, he named many but termed Dhoni as the ‘best white-ball captain he has ever seen’.
The first person Vaughan hailed for his captaincy was New Zealand’s Kane Williamson who is known for his humble, calm and composed approach. It was under his leadership that the Black Caps reached the final of the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.
“Kane Williamson is outstanding. has the gift to lead without having to say too much. He can maneuver his team in a sensible way and not a noisy way. Everyone realizes he is the leader, the power,” Vaughan was quoted as saying to the Times of India.
Eoin Morgan, who helped England to win their first ICC Cricket World Cup, was also praised by Vaughan. But when it comes to the limited-overs formats, Vaughan was clear in calling Dhoni ‘the best’.
“Eoin Morgan was a revelation in 50-over cricket. MS Dhoni doesn’t do international captaincy anymore but in our era, Dhoni is the best white-ball captain I have seen…the way he maneuvers from behind the stump just reads the play, thinks out of the box, handles the pressure card and is also great with the bat,” he said.
Indian cricket has produced several great captains in the past and another one is presently leading the charge. Kohli, who has been smashing records right and left, hasn’t let the burden of captaincy affect his prowess with the willow. Vaughan also admired the way the 30-year-old leads his team, especially in Test cricket.
“In Tests, Virat Kohli is busy, energetic, a brilliant batsman, full of life. I like the way he captains,” Vaughan added.
