‘Everybody will tell you MS Dhoni is the best captain but..’ – R Ashwin names captain with best understanding of players

India suffered a heartbreaking 6-wicket loss in the ODI World Cup 2023 final against Australia where Travis Head smashed a wonderful century to help the Kangaroos lift the coveted World Cup trophy for the 6th time. The Men in Blue won back-to-back 10 matches in the tournament but failed to win when it was required most.

Meanwhile, India’s veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently talked about India skipper Rohit Sharma and his captaincy throughout the tournament. He said that everyone will tell you that former legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni was the best skipper ever but the efforts Rohit puts to understand each player of the team is quite commendable.

“If you take a look at Indian cricket, everybody will be telling you that MS Dhoni is the best captain. (But), Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person, (and) he understands every single player in the team. He knows the likes and dislikes of each of us and has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each player personally,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

R Ashwin revealed he was already prepared for getting benched in the final

Ashwin also talked about getting benched in the final contest and said that the team combination was perfect and it was also difficult for Rohit to change the winning combination which has won 10 consecutive matches. Ashwin said that he was already prepared to cheer the side and run in with energy drinks.

“As far as I playing the final is concerned, the team combination and all is secondary. Firstly, it’s about empathy, (and) I keep stressing it a lot. It’s like standing in someone else’s shoes and looking at things from his/her perspective. Had I been in Rohit’s shoes, I would have thought 100 times about altering the (winning) combination. It was going alright for the team, so why rest a fast bowler for three spinners?” he said

“Honestly, I understood Rohit Sharma‘s thought process. Playing the final is big, (and) I was preparing for three days in the lead-up. At the same time, I was also prepared to cheer for the side and run in with energy drinks if I was not given the opportunity. I was mentally prepared for that as well,” he added.