India's legendary captain MS Dhoni admitted that he is not great with staying in touch with his former teammates. Recently, Harbhajan Singh said that he does not talk to Dhoni. However, Virat Kohli had said that when he stepped down as captain, the only player to send him a message was Dhoni. Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the legendary Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain said that at times he drops a message when someone needs him.
"It's deja vu. I was asked a similar question in a JioHotsar show; you will see the answer during the IPL. I'm not great when it comes to being in touch with people but yeah, certain times when you someone needs you, you just drop in a message," Dhoni said in a video at an event that is doing rounds on social media.
Kohli and Dhoni will be battling it out on the field in the IPL 2025 when CSK take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at home on March 28.
Kohli on 'genuine connection' with Dhoni
Kohli left captaincy across formats within six months. First, he relinquished the role at RCB. He left T20I captaincy and was replaced in ODIs as well. As India lost the series to South Africa in January 2022, he stepped down as captain in Test as well. Kohli in an interaction had revealed that there is mutual respect between him and Dhoni. Also, he would contact a cricketer personally rather than saying it publicly.
"That respect [with Dhoni], that connection you have with someone, when it is genuine, it shows like this, because there is no insecurity with either of us. Neither does he [Dhoni] need anything from me, nor do I need anything from him. Neither of us suffers from insecurity. I can only say: if I want to say something to someone, I reach out to that person individually if I want to help.
"I mean, if you give the suggestions in front of the world, it has no value for me. If it is for my improvement, you can talk with me one-on-one, (tell me) that I genuinely want you to do well. I live life with a lot of honesty, so I can see through such things. I am not saying that it doesn't matter to me, but you see the real thing. I can only say that. When you play for such a long time, when you play with honesty, the only one who looks out for you is the almighty. Until I play, until I am worthy of playing, I will play this way," he had said.
Kohli back in form
Last week, Kohli roared back in form with an unbeaten century against Pakistan in a run chase at Dubai Cricket Association Stadium. India have qualified for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinals. The Rohit Sharma-led side will take on New Zealand. A win will help them finish as table-toppers in group stage.
