Overview

• Ishant said MS Dhoni preferred in‑the‑moment calls and few meetings, stressing learning through mistakes and self‑reliance.
• He recalled Dhoni’s 2013 Champions Trophy message that players must trust themselves because no one else would win the game for them.
• By contrast, he described Virat Kohli as operating with a basic plan set before play that was adjusted as the match unfolded.
• Ishant recounted that Kohli fired him up during the 2015 Colombo Test after a confrontation with Dhammika Prasad and an elbow from Dinesh Chandimal, leading to aggressive celebrations after three wickets.
• The ICC later handed Ishant and Chandimal one‑match bans, fined Prasad and Lahiru Thirimanne 50% of their fees, and Ishant’s suspension points ruled him out of India’s next Test in Mohali; Kohli said the timing ultimately benefited India.