R Ashwin talked about the best qualities of the captains he has played under for India.
He became a force to reckon with under Virat Kohli’s leadership and is on his way to all-time greatness in the twilight of his career under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
Having played 100 Tests en route to becoming India's most successful off-spinner with 516 wickets so far, the 37-year-old still has a lot to offer to youngsters who are making their mark in the Indian team.
During an interview with veteran cricket journalist and YouTuber Vimal Kumar, Ashwin discussed his experiences and lessons learned while playing under three of India's best captains: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.
"Talking from a player's point of view, I like one thing a lot in Dhoni's captaincy -- the stability a player got. He provided an opportunity, a long run. If you look at it, Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) or Suresh Raina, he groomed Jaddu in the finisher's role very well and played him in the same role till the end. It benefitted India. Jaddu is a great all-rounder today. So if Dhoni backed someone after identifying, he provided stability as well. I really like that about MS. But what people say, that he stays cool and all that, I don't really...To be fair, he looks calm,” R Ashwin said on MS Dhoni.
Virat Kohli used R Ashwin as a weapon while playing at home and made India invincible in their conditions.
"About Virat, he inspires. He sets an example by doing and achieving himself; he leads from the front. What he expects from the team, he shows it by doing it himself,” Ashwin talked about Kohli’s captaincy.
Now, Ashwin is moving towards the end of his cricket career while playing under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
On Rohit Sharma, Ashwin said: "Two or three things about him are very good. He keeps the team environment very light and makes an effort to do that. He is very balanced and tactically strong -- so were MS and Virat. But Rohit puts more focus on tactics. If a big match or series is coming up, he will sit with the analytics team and coach to prepare, like what a batsman's weaknesses, and a bowler's plan. That's his strength, and he too backs his players 100 percent."
R Ashwin is expected to be seen in action when Bangladesh visits India for two Tests in September.