“He needs to pay me for running all his runs” - When MS Dhoni lauded Virat Kohli’s incredible innings in 2016 T20 World Cup
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have shared several match-winning partnerships for Team India over the years. Their shared vision when it comes to planning run chases coupled with their physical ability to pierce the gaps and run hard, made it difficult for the opposition to plan against them.
The majority of fans had their hopes intact whenever the duo were batting together, irrespective of the opposition, conditions, or the match situation. One such instance came during the 2016 T20 World Cup on home soil, when India were up against Australia in a virtual quarter-final clash in Mohali.
Chasing 161 for the win, India were reduced to 94/4 after 14 overs. The duo of Kohli and Dhoni got to work straightaway, not solely relying on boundaries to reduce the run rate, but making the most of Mohali's long boundaries to chip away at the total. The 16th over was something to note of as Kohli scored 12 runs off it, but by scoring only a single boundary. There were four deliveries in the over that went for two runs apiece, and credit for that goes to both batters.
Dhoni scored an unbeaten 18 runs off 10 deliveries, but his contribution was not something that numbers could measure. The then-skipper played his part by immediately handing back the strike to the well-settled Kohli, who eventually went berserk against James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile to guide India to the win.
"I think it was an incredible innings. He needs to pay me for running all his runs. I've said in the middle overs if you're a good runner that really takes the pressure of you. I'm not somebody who is great. I play unorthodox cricket, push it in the middle, and run one or two. If it is in your area, hit it for six. It is very simple," Dhoni said after India qualified for the semi-finals via ESPNCricinfo.
The pair's incredible trust and stamina were evident in the very next match as well, when they joined forces in the death overs during the semi-final clash against the West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
"If he says two, I just close my eyes and run" - Virat Kohli on running between the wickets with MS Dhoni
Their high levels of fitness and aligning philosophies when it came to constructing an innings has aided the team's cause many times. The minimal risk involved and the fact that it is an assured run accumulator in any situation and condition has made it their go-to approach from the start.
“MS and I have great understanding. While running between the wickets, if he says two, I just close my eyes and run because I know his judgement is so correct, I will make it," Kohli had said on Breakfast with Champions.
Dhoni was run out for 99 while batting with Kohli during the Nagpur Test of 2012 against England. However, it was largely due to a brilliant direct hit by Alastair Cook.