Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni may have contrasting personalities, but their success on the cricket field has cemented a strong bond between them. Kohli’s aggressive approach and Dhoni’s calm demeanor have complemented each other in leading the Indian cricket team to great heights. Despite their differences, their shared achievements have created a deep connection between the two players.
Kohli made his all-format debut under Dhoni and later on took over the all-format captaincy from the legendary cricketer. Right from the beginning of his career, Kohli has received backing from Dhoni and it has continued even after the great man retired from international cricket in August, 2020.
While speaking on the RCB prodcast Season2, the first of the 10 episodes, Kohli shared some insights into the working points of his kinship with Dhoni. “I have experienced a different kind of phase in my career currently. It’s been a while since I felt (this) free in the sense how I felt all these years of playing at any level of cricket,” said Kohli. Kohli has played 106 Tests, 271 ODIs and 115 T20Is for India in a career spanning 15 years. He recently became the fastest to reach 25000 international runs in just 549 innings, bettering Sachin Tendulkar.
But the former India captain went through a tough phase since the 2019 World Cup. Despite all his efforts, he could not manage to win an ICC trophy as captain and his form saw a never-before-seen dip in pretty much all formats.
Kohli said Dhoni was the only one who ‘reached out’ to him during those tough times. “What is interesting is that throughout this phase apart from Anushka, who has been the biggest source of strength for me because she has been with me throughout this whole time and she has seen me very closely as how have I felt, things that I have gone through, the kind of things that have happened…the only person who, apart from my childhood coach and family…genuinely reached out to me has been MS Dhoni.
Kohli shared the dressing room with Dhoni for 11 years during their stint with Team India between 2008 and 2019.
“He reached out to me and you can rarely get in touch with him. If I call him on any random day, 99 percent he will not pick up (the phone), because he just does not look at the phone. So, for him to reach out to me…twice it has happened now and one of the things that he’d mentioned in the message while reaching out to me was that: ‘when you are expected to be strong and looked at as a strong individual people forget to ask how are you doing?’
Virat Kohli’s association with the Royal Challengers Bangalore started in 2008 and became the team’s captain in 2011 until he stepped away from the role in 2021.
He further added, “So, it (Dhoni’s words) hit home for me because I have always been looked at as someone who is very confident, mentally very strong, who can endure any circumstances and find a way and show us the way. Sometimes, what you realise is that at any given point of time in life as a human being you need to take a couple of steps backwards, understand how you are doing, how your wellbeing is placed.
“So, there are not many places, for the people who have played the game for a long period, as strong individuals, they can go and explain in a way that the other person can understand. That’s why I mentioned this particular incident because MS Dhoni knows exactly what is going on, he understands it because he has been there himself.
Kohli offered the reason for Dhoni reaching out to him while stressing on the point of them going through similar phases in life and career. “He has experienced what I have experienced right now. So, it is only out of experience, and feeling those feelings in that moment is the only way you can be truly compassionate and understanding towards another individual who is going through the same thing.”
Kohli has regained his lost touch in ODIs and T20Is, scoring heaps of runs since the second half of 2022 but he is yet to register a big score in red-ball cricket. He looked in complete control in the second Test against Australia but was out to a debatable call. He would look to make amends in the third Test in Indore, starting March 1.
