The well-known bond between Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni goes beyond their on-field success. Dhoni, the senior player, passed the captaincy torch to Kohli in 2017, and their mutual respect and understanding have been a cornerstone of Indian cricket. Recently, a surprising story emerged, adding another dimension to their relationship. Pakistani batsman Umar Akmal made a sensational claim during a YouTube interview. Akmal alleges that, during his time playing for Pakistan, he witnessed a team manager, whose identity remains unknown, advocating for Kohli's exclusion from the Indian team. However, Akmal claims that MS Dhoni, then the Indian captain, vehemently opposed this move. According to Akmal, Dhoni even threatened to resign from captaincy if Kohli was dropped. However the veracity of Akmal's claims is yet to be known. Nevertheless, the story adds another layer to the narrative of the strong bond between Kohli and Dhoni, highlighting Dhoni's unwavering support for his successor.
"We were having dinner. Dhoni, Raina, Yuvraj Singh, and even Shoaib Malik were present. We had won the series and there was a lot of pressure on Virat Kohli because he did not have a successful series," reflecting on the 2013 tour of India, Pakistan star Akmal said, as quoted by Times Now.
"The manager came to Dhoni and said that don't play Virat in the final one-day international. I looked at Dhoni, and he said fine. I haven't been home for six months; Raina will be captain. Book two tickets for Virat and me. The manager was left fumbling for words and ultimately saying, " Please carry on with Kohli," he added.
"I was left in awe and asked Dhoni why he said this. Then Dhoni explained that Virat is the best player and just because he is going through a rough patch for three matches, then why I should leave him in the lurch," stated Akmal, emphasising the unwavering support Dhoni provided to Kohli during a challenging period, which strengthened their bond.
This incident highlights the trust and confidence Dhoni had in Kohli's abilities, which eventually paid off as Kohli evolved into a world-class cricketer and later succeeded Dhoni as captain.
Virat Kohli caps T20I career with World Cup glory, announces retirement
Recently, Virat Kohli's illustrious T20 international career ended with India's historic T20 World Cup 2024 victory in Barbados. Shortly after India secured their second T20 World Cup title, Kohli announced his retirement from the format. The former captain departs the T20I scene as India's second-highest run scorer (behind Rohit Sharma), with an impressive tally of 4188 runs across 125 matches. He averaged a remarkable 48.69 runs per innings and maintained a blistering strike rate of 137.04. Despite a challenging T20 World Cup campaign leading up to the semi-final, where he managed only 75 runs in seven innings, Kohli finished strong with a crucial 76 off 59 balls in the final.
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