* Flamboyant Indian Test skipper Kohli says he wants to pick up predecessor's ability of not panicking under pressure * Praises Rahane for adjusting to different formats
They might be like chalk and cheese in terms of their tactics for the team, but Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni seem to be part of a mutual admiration club.
If Kohli, the Test skipper, doesn't shy away from wearing his heart on his sleeve, limited-overs captain Dhoni remains unflustered even in extreme situations. And that is one trait Kohli hopes to imbibe from his predecessor.
"He (Dhoni) has set the bar as far as captaincy is concerned," Kohli said during a panel discussion at the launch of the ICC World T20 2016 here on Friday. The panel also included Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Dave Richardson and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Anurag Thakur.
Kohli added: "There's nothing that he has left to achieve for any other captain. But all I can try and do in the Test format is learn the art of composure from his captaincy. That's something I felt that I've improved in the last couple of series. His ability to not panic in pressure situations is something I would like to pick up. I've been learning from close quarters, being the vice-captain, noticing what he does in certain situations."
Dhoni's image of being 'Captain Cool' has stuck with him ever since he showed minimal emotions even after India had won the inaugural edition of the ICC World T20 in 2007. That, according to Kohli, set the tone for Dhoni to lead the team to greater heights under his style of leadership.
"It was virtually the launch of Dhoni, the captain. The way he expressed his tactics, the way he led a very young team at the world stage, making them believe that this can be done was something that came through in that World Cup. That (victory) made him become this big figure in captaincy in world cricket, not just Indian cricket," he said.
But despite Kohli's words of praise for Dhoni, there was one aspect in which he had a different opinion to his limited-overs counterpart. Not too long ago, Dhoni had publicly highlighted a chink in Rahane's armour, saying the Mumbaikar faces difficult batting lower down the order in ODIs. Kohli, however, lauded Rahane for the ease with which he adjusts to different formats.
"Watching him play over the last couple of years," Kohli said of Rahane, who was seated next to him, "I've noticed that the ball goes off his bat quicker than most people. He has the gift of timing plus power, which not many people realise. If you see his batting in the IPL, he looks like he is possessed. So the good thing about him is that he plays according to different formats, which is very important in this day and age. It requires a lot of hard work, and he is ready to put in those hard yards in every format."
The 27-year-old Delhiwallah was in a mood to dish out accolades, even applauding South Africa's AB de Villiers for his uncharacteristic 354-ball 43 in the second innings of the final Test in New Delhi.
"What he did in Delhi, I did not think he could do it, honestly. Although he has done it in the past, but to do it when you're 0-2 down in the series and have that mental strength to play 300-odd balls for eight hours, it showed the versatility that he has in his game. It's a learning for every cricketer around the world who thinks that application is not required in Test cricket and that you can just smash your way to a century or save the game by following your instinct. You have to change your game. He showed what you can do when you apply yourself," Kohli said.
India-Pak clash in Dharamsala, Mumbai gets SF
As was expected, India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group for the ICC World T20 to be held in India in March-April next year. The high-profile contest will take place in Dharamsala on March 19. The ICC, on Friday, announced the groups and schedule of the event for both men and women, which will be held across eight cities in the country from March 8 to April 3. Mumbai will not hold any matches featuring India, but has been allotted the second semifinal on March 31, with New Delhi hosting the other knockout game on March 30. The Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host both the men's and women's final on April 3. Pakistan will play all their league matches in Kolkata, Dharamsala and Mohali. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, which was in danger of being omitted as one of the venues due to an issue over unused stands, will only host women's matches.
GROUPS
Group 1: Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England and Qualifier
Group 2: India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Qualifier
INDIA MATCHES
March 15: vs New Zealand, Nagpur
March 19: vs Pakistan, Dharamsala
March 23: vs Qualifier, Bengaluru
March 27: vs Australia, Mohali
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Kohli-Shikhar-Ajinkya")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}