MS Dhoni on his bond with Virat Kohli

New Delhi [India] March 24 (ANI): Former Indian captain and wicketkeeper/batter MS Dhoni spoke about his bond with Virat Kohli, he praised Kohli and said he was someone who wanted to contribute right from the start of his career. Dhoni was speaking to Jio Hotstar.

Dhoni spoke about his discussions with Kohli when he used to get out at a crucial moment, he would talk about whether he could have delayed taking a risk by an over or handled the situation differently. He talked about his bond with Virat Kohli he said initially it was more of a relationship between a captain and a young player but as time passed away they became friends. Dhoni said even today the two players share the same bond and there is always a line of respect between a senior and a junior.

“He would come and discuss situations, analyzing what he could have done differently. For example, in a run chase, if he got out at a crucial moment, he would talk about whether he could have delayed taking a risk by an over or handled the situation differently. We had many conversations, and that helped both of us. It was always an honest exchange of ideas–whether a certain approach was right or if an adjustment could have been made. Initially, it was more of a relationship between a captain and a young player, but over time, as we kept interacting, we became friends. Even today, we share that bond, though there’s always a line of respect between a senior and a junior. Now that neither of us is captain, we get more time to talk before matches. Earlier, before the toss, we had to prepare and go, but now we can just stand and have a chat.” MS Dhoni said while speaking on Jio Hostar.

He spoke about the hunger Kohli has for scoring runs, he said he was never satisfied with 40-60 runs he always wanted to score a century and remain not out. He admired his fitness the way he worked on his batting and his improvement over the years.

“Right from the start, Virat was someone who wanted to contribute. He was never satisfied with scoring just 40 or 60 runs–he always aimed for a century and wanted to remain not out till the end. That hunger for success was there from the beginning. If you look at the Sri Lanka series where he was part of the squad, he went back after that and then returned with an even stronger game. The way he worked on his batting, improved his fitness, and maintained his will to perform and keep improving–that’s what set him apart. He was always eager to learn. “he added.

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli had shared the Indian team dressing room for over a decade, after Dhoni, Kohli was named as captain of India across all formats. Both the players are set to clash on March 28 when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their IPL 2025 blockbuster clash at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

Last time when both the teams met RCB won their sixth game on the trot in IPL 2024 to knock CSK out and make the playoffs. (ANI)