Former India fielding coach R Sridhar pointed out the difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as a fielder. While Sridhar praised both Rohit and Kohli, he said they have their specialties as a close-in fielder.

Sridhar, in an interview with the Economic Times, said Kohli's fitness and agility make him an outstanding fielder. He also revealed how the team used the India Test captain's energy to intimidate the opposition batters.

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"They (Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma) are, indeed [India's best slip fielders]. But let me say they are two very different kinds of athletes. Virat is extremely fit and agile and was always a very good outfielder," he said.

The 51-year-old worked with Team India for seven years. He was appointed as a fielding coach in 2014 and his stint with the team ended with the conclusion of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

"Initially, we used his energy in front of the batsman’s eyes, say like in short cover or short mid-wicket because with his intensity he could literally intimidate the batters."

"But over time, and this was also because he was a certainty in the team, we wanted him to stand in the slips... He can come down really quick and has done a lot of work on his concentration and focus. Now you can see him go for the half-chances and pluck them more often than not," he added.

Sridhar revealed that the team calls Rohit 'sticky fingers' in the dressing room and he lauded the Mumbai cricketer for being a natural slip fielder.

"Rohit, on the other hand, is a natural (slip fielder). We call him sticky fingers in the dressing room. At the same time, he works very hard on his slip catching and takes around 60 to 80 catches during each session to improve his slip catching," he further said.

(With Economic Times Inputs)