Mohammad Kaif, a former cricket player from India, explained why players like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni were able to lead the Test squad for extended periods of time. Although Dhoni was the first captain to lead the Indian team to the top of the ICC Test Rankings, Kohli went one step further and led his team to the top spot for four years in a row.
Kaif emphasised how the team’s players felt safe from selectors and free to express themselves when Dhoni was leading them. Kaif even talked about how, particularly at home, the Ranchi-born used the spin combination of Pragyan Ojha, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin to create a lethal spin attack.
“Are you aware of the reasons why Dhoni and Kohli excelled as captains? In order to make the players feel at ease, Dhoni initially supported them [during selection] and then continued to do so during games. He assembled his crew based on his extensive understanding of reading the back. Pragyan, Jadeja, and Ashwin were all deployed by him, and they all claimed wickets.
In a video uploaded to his X account, Kaif said, “There was a presence that gave a big advantage when Dhoni captained the Indian team.”
Dhoni-Virat The Grandmasters in test at home! pic.twitter.com/ebMBGDpZQ7
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 29, 2025
Moving on to Kohli, Kaif emphasised how the star batsman was the preferred skipper of the Indian pacers at the time because to his bowler-centric mindset. The Uttar Pradesh native also mentioned how Kohli’s dominant style of captaincy allowed India to win Test matches both at home and away, something that India had lacked under Rohit Sharma and now Shubman Gill as well.
“Virat Kohli outperformed Dhoni by one step. He tended to become aggressive when the squad was having problems. “You have to take 20 wickets if you want to play,” Kohli would often remind his bowlers. Don’t come to the earth otherwise. As you are aware, despite captaining 31 Test matches, Kohli has lost two at home. “Kohli was a firm believer in preserving the core,” he continued.
Dhoni has long since retired from international cricket, but Kohli continues to play in the 50-over format. Prior to the first One-Day International against South Africa, which would take place here, the two had recently met at the 44-year-old’s Ranchi home.
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