MS Dhoni demonstrates his ‘massive’ respect for Virat Kohli in pep talk to CSK teammates

The friendship between Dhoni and Kohli is well known. India’s star batter Virat Kohli had revealed that when he was going through a rough patch, “the only person who genuinely reached out to me was MS Dhoni”.

“For me, that is such a blessing to know that I could have such a strong bond and relationship with someone who is so senior to me. It’s more like a friendship based on a lot of mutual respect, and that’s one of the things he mentioned in the same message reaching out to me,” Kohli said on RCB Podcast.

“It is one of the things he mentioned in the same message reaching out to me, that when you are expected to be strong and looked at as a strong individual, people forget to ask how are you doing? So, it hit home to me, it was like this is it,” he added.

In this year’s IPL, Dhoni-led CSK is placed second in the points table. The former India skipper has kept everyone guessing about his future in IPL. During a recent match, when asked about his retirement talks bowled a googly telling commentator Danny Morrison that he never commented on whether or not IPL 2023 will be his last season.

Dhoni talking to one of the CSK members by mentioning the name of Virat Kohli. pic.twitter.com/8Y09cWMvLw

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 6, 2023

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif said that Dhoni is not just a player for CSK, he is also a mentor. “Mahi is no longer playing as a player but as a mentor. He chooses the team. Let’s get on the field. He does not tease the seniors much but keeps on teaching the youth all the time. He wants every player, playing under him, to perform well as it will make the team’s job easier.”

When asked about the relationship between Dhoni and Kohli, former coach Ravi Shastri had said: “Each one has his own style and each one is different. When you mention Virat and MS, yes, they are different, the way they play and the way they captain. MS was the senior man when Virat was coming through the ranks. Virat gave him the respect he deserved. Now MS is not the captain, Virat is, so MS does the same thing. The mutual respect for each other is massive and that’s all you want as a coach.”