New Zealand’s left arm orthodox spinner Mitchell Santner highlights the difference between MS Dhoni and Kane Williamson having played under both the skippers.
The Kiwi all rounder has played under the leadership of MS Dhoni in Chennai Super Kings and under Kane Williamson in New Zealand.
Kane Williamson and MS Dhoni are the two most successful captains in the last decade. Dhoni has led Team India to win the inaugural season of the ICC T20 World Cup, 2011 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, 2013 ICC Championships Trophy. The former Indian skipper has also led CSK to 4 IPL trophies.
Kane Williamson has led NZ to their maiden ICC trophy by winning the inaugural season of the WTC. Williamson has also led his side to the finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Although there are a lot of similarities between the two, there are some differences too.
Mitchell Santner believes that the former World Cup winner relies a lot on his mid-game instincts while Williamson is someone who likes to plan every little detail in advance and be prepared for all eventualities.
“Dhoni is a very instinctive captain. He has captained in a lot of games. He has been in tricky situations a lot. He just has the knack of knowing what will happen in the game. He will give you pretty good views from behind the stumps. It’s quite awesome to be involved with CSK for the last four years and to play under one of the greatest captains and players of our time.
“On the other hand, Kane is someone who does a lot of planning beforehand. He is very relaxed and calm. It helps you as a player when you are under the pump,” Santner said in an interview with the Indian Express.
Santner has got the opportunity to lead his national side in a number of occasions. Most recently he led his side in the 3rd T20I game against India in Kolkata. The 29-year-old has revealed that he learned a few captaincy traits from Brendon McCullum, Dhoni, and Willamson.
“I have been lucky enough to play under Brendon, Kane and MS over the years. You note down stuff from your captains and try to implement it when you lead the team. If I manage to pick up a few stuffs from their rulebooks, I will do fine as a captain,” he said.