Can't compare my captaincy style to MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma, I am still young as skipper: KL Rahul

Speaking on the eve of the ODI series against Zimbabwe, KL Rahul said he is a calm personality and it doesn't change when he is leading the Indian cricket team.

If early signs are anything to go by, KL Rahul has come across as a calm and composed character when he leads his Indian Premier League side or the Indian side. However, the 30-year-old said he does not want to compare his style with MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma's approach to captaincy, saying he still has a long way to go when it comes to marshaling the troops.

KL Rahul, who has been seen by many as a possible future captain of India, will be on his second assignment as skipper of the Indian ODI side when the visitors take on Zimbabwe in a 3-match series, starting August 18 in Harare. Rahul led India for the first time earlier this year in a Test match as stand-in captain in South Africa and was named ODI captain in the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma in the Rainbow Nation.

Rahul's captaincy journey at the highest level hasn't gotten off as expected as India have lost all 4 matches, including the 3-match ODI series, against South Africa. Rahul also had an unimpressive record as Punjab Kings captain in the IPL over the last two seasons but he led newbies Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs in their inaugural season earlier in 2022.

When asked if he can talk about his calm approach to captaincy and how it is different from MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma's style, KL Rahul said: "I don't know. I don't compare, personally. The names (MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma), I can't even compare myself as a leader with these guys because their numbers or achievements are far greater and what they have done for the country, I don't think anyone should be put in the same breath.

"For me, I am still young and this is my second series as captain. Obviously, I have played under them and learned a lot from them and as players and as guys in the team, you learn from each other over the years. I have a picked up a few qualities from these guys.

"A captain has to be true to himself, then it spreads to the players. I am a calm person and I can't go out there and try to be something else. I believe that is not fair to myself and to the team and to the game. I try to be myself in the best way possible. You try to let other players be themselves and express themselves," he said on the eve of the first ODI in Zimbabwe.

KL Rahul is returning to competitive cricket for the first time since the qualifiers in IPL 2022. The star batter underwent surgery for a sports hernia after IPL 2022 and missed the South Africa T20Is at home for which he was named captain.