It was 2017 when MS Dhoni decided to step down as the Indian captain and Virat Kohli took over the reins. The latter was already the red-ball captain of the side by then, putting his imprint on the brand of cricket he wanted to play. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer who played under both Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni and was also a part of the transition, said that initially when Kohli discussed diet and training, not many players understood, but everyone eventually aligned.

“When Virat took over captaincy, it took time to understand. Not just for him, but for everyone. We were getting out of Mahi bhai’s era, and we were used to how he would handle things. Virat was completely different, so it took a few series to understand his thinking and intent. When he took over in Australia, he started talking about diet and training. A few people thought how was it relevant, but later on everyone aligned, and he also led by example by doing things himself too,” he said in a podcast with Jatin Sapru.

Kumar also revealed that although Dhoni is known for his calm and cool nature, he always had a subtle way of getting his messages across.

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“I know everyone says Dhoni is calm, but he was someone who would come and quietly tell you things on the side and walk away. We were playing a game, one over had been bowled. I don’t know what had happened, but he came and put it out on me and said one over has been bowled, have you not warmed up yet?”

Speaking on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, Kumar said he was a mix of both. “Rohit was a mix of both. He is calm, but he also takes everyone for a run in the garden when he feels like it. So he is a mix. Everyone had their own strategies, but one thing in common was that all of them wanted to win.”