File photo of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma© BCCI/Sportzpics
Two of the greatest captains in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history, MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh created a duopoly during their reign at the top. The two led Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians to numerous titles, though when it came to the head-to-head battle, Rohit's men seemed to have had an added advantage. Despite the stature that Dhoni held, Rohit's MI managed to beat CSK in three IPL finals. During a chat on a podcast, Harbhajan Singh - former India spinner who played for both franchises -- revealed how MI managed to 'dominate' CSK over the years.
Harbhajan revealed that MI were quite aware of the 'tricks' Dhoni used as captain. The franchise would lay its plans and work on counter strategies to undo Dhoni and his side's tactics.
"The tricks Dhoni used to come up with, we worked to find a solution. In pressure situations, MI did better than CSK. When I left MI to join CSK, I got a lot of love. Bowled well and won a championship, got a runners-up medal as well," he said during a chat with Sports Yaari.
"In that match (IPL 2018), Dwayne Bravo's magical batting and Kedar Jadhav's show earned CSK the title. Else, MI would've won again. To overcome Dhoni, you have to think better, play your cards better. It isn't easy. MI have done it as they had better players and the planning was also good," Harbhajan said, recalling the IPL 2018 opener between the two sides.
When the question of comparison between Dhoni and Rohit as captains emerged, Harbhajan said that the former MI captain was not behind the ex-CSK skipper by any means.
"Why do you compare the two? Dhoni led the team and took it forward, Rohit is also doing the same. Every cup you win, you put hope in others. That is important. The better captain is the one who inspires you to win. If we talk about achievements, Rohit is not lesser than Dhoni. Dada, Kohli, Dhoni, Rohit, everyone has contributed in their own way to take the team forward. Now, the fight is within to take the team even a step further," Harbhajan further said.