'This is the respect and rapport they have' - When a former Indian selector threw light on the MS Dhoni-Virat Kohli bond
Back in 2021, former Team India selector Sanjay Jagdale shed light on the relationship that former Team India skipper MS Dhoni and batter Virat Kohli share between them. Kohli was Dhoni's deputy in the early 2010s and then took over the leadership baton from the wicketkeeper-batter across formats.
Both Dhoni and Kohli have shared a very cordial relationship, with the latter often stating that he was grateful to the then-skipper for backing him. Likewise, Dhoni has also expressed his awe at Virat's batting and once famously said that he would have a stand named after him in Australia with the way he was performing.
However, with the nature of the sport being extremely competitive between players and teams, there were rumors of the two Indian sporting personalities having an alleged rift. Sanjay Jagdale, former chief selector of Team India, in an interaction with News18 in 2021 was quick to clear the air, saying that there wasn't an issue between the two.
Referring to the second ODI between India and Australia at Nagpur in 2019, Jagdale said:
“This was before the World Cup in England. I was watching the match from a position that was behind long off and by the side of the sight screen. We were ten of us from Indore in the gallery. That was my first international match in three or four years."
“Marcus Stoinis was batting brilliantly and Virat was fielding at long-off, just in front of us. And I could hear Dhoni shouting Chiku (Virat’s nickname) and asking him to shift 15 to 20 feet towards extra cover. This was a remarkable incident with Dhoni asking the India captain (Virat) to move."
He added:
"Virat had no issues with it. He just moved. This is the respect and rapport they have. Even before Dhoni became the captain, all players had a good equation with Dhoni. I even explained to my friends about what happened on the field and the respect the players have for Dhoni,”
"He has experienced what I have experienced right now" - Virat Kohli on MS Dhoni during his low phase
When Virat Kohli was going through a tough period with the bat, he mentioned that MS Dhoni was the only person to reach out to him and lend him advice.
He mentioned what conversation they had in the RCB podcast and said:
"He has experienced what I have experienced right now. So, it is only out of the 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."
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni shared the dressing room from 2008 to 2019. In the 11 years, the duo was a part of the title-winning teams during the 2011 Men's ODI World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.