Trust vs Approach: Difference between Virat Kohli & Pat Cummins as IPL captains

Virat Kohli and Pat Cummins aren’t just captains; they are two of the finest leaders cricket has ever seen. Cummins isn’t the stereotypical Australian who’s in your face. He’s calm and collected. But his teammates will run through a brick wall for him. He ousted Justin Langer as Australia’s head coach because he felt his teammates didn’t need the old-school lashing after mistakes.

Kohli is actually the archetype of an Australian captain. He’s aggressive and ready to pick up a fight. But, much like Cummins, he always had the support of his team. Under him, we saw India’s best-ever Test team. Like Cummins, he removed a coach, Anil Kumble, for similar reasons.

How Kohli & Cummins differ as IPL captains

Shahbaz Ahmed has played under both. Kohli was the all-rounder’s captain at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for two Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons, 2020 and 2021. Shahbaz played for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2024, the year Cummins took them to the final. Therefore, he’s seen both of them up close.

Kohli inspires his teammates with the way he prepares and the amount of work he puts in. He’s supportive of the players. Shahbaz shared how Kohli always had his back when he was bowling, since batters are unrelenting in the IPL and come hard at you.

“Every team has a different mindset, and you learn a lot from different players. At RCB, I learnt a lot from Virat Kohli—his work ethic, his preparation, and the way he supports his teammates. Virat Kohli was a very good captain. He trusted me a lot, especially while bowling and fielding. I really enjoyed playing under his leadership,” Shahbaz told RevSportz.

Cummins brought that Australian confidence on board. We’ve seen the Aussie win big matches and turn things around from nowhere time and again. That’s what Cummins tried to do at SRH. To make sure the opposition remains under the pump, knowing they won’t relent.

“At SRH, I learnt from Pat Cummins and the coaching staff how a team can dominate games. Their approach to cricket was very strong. I also enjoyed playing under Pat Cummins at SRH. I didn’t get many opportunities at LSG last season, but overall, I’ve learnt something from every captain,” he added.

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