Virat Kohli churns fans with his special thanks to MS Dhoni just a month before the IPL
Imagine, two guys in the twilight of their careers, full of praise and respect for each other. Such things are unimaginable in a dog eat dog world.
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MS Dhoni; Virat Kohli
It’s a dog eat dog world out there in professional cricket. More so, in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which begins next month. Captains have been named, where there was a vacancy in leadership and more changes have been announced before the richest T20 club tournament begins.
So, it was surprising to see a podcast from RCB, Royal Challengers Bangalore, where former captain Virat Kohli spoke. He waxed eloquently in the chat, even though he no longer leads the franchise. That’s the power of VK, who in his new avatar, has become more relevant to cricket. His contribution to Team India is well known, what with the master crossing an aggregate of 25,000 international runs at the Delhi Test against Australia recently in the BGT Series . Yet, the new chat where Kohli spoke on his relationship with former captain and mentor MS Dhoni is again trending on social media.
At first, cricket fans may have got confused if Kohli was speaking the same stuff about the man who groomed him to become captain. No, it was another honest exercise from Kohli on how important it was for MSD to help him out through the crisis when he was not scoring runs.
Cricket is a fierce sport. There is no combat in it, yet players are insecure and do not mind getting selfish. To think an integral part of RCB — Virat Kohli — would be showering praise on the skipper of another IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings, was a bit strange, for some. Anyone who has followed the two men — Kohli and Dhoni — will vouch they belong to a generation where there was bonding and there was no such acrimony.
Virat Kohli thanked the most important people in his life; one had to be his wife Anushka Sharma and the second MS Dhoni
Dhoni has been a player/captain who has always backed his boys. After all, Kohli was a boy when he began his stint in Team India and then saw how Dhoni led. In the middle of a series in Australia, a few years ago, for Dhoni to say he was giving up part-captaincy and was willing to play under Kohli was bizarre. Dhoni never was insecure, never in that frame of mind that he could get dropped.
Maybe, the chemistry between Dhoni and Kohli began there. One of respect, one of admiring each other, and learning. What Kohli faced in his weak run where there were no runs coming from his blade was worrying. “Drop Kohli,” reached a crescendo. He did not react. Finally, when Kohli scored that big knock against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup in the UAE, he released his emotions. His eyes were moist, as he spoke.
The beauty was, Kohli thanked the most important people in his life. One had to be his wife Anushka Sharma and the second MS Dhoni. These two gentlemen are not going to tell fans what words exactly they exchanged with each other.
Today, when Virat Kohli has again showered praise on Dhoni and thanked him profusely for help during the crisis phase, it’s clear how much emotions count. Imagine, two guys in the twilight of their careers, full of praise and respect for each other. Such things are unimaginable in a dog eat dog world. After all, rivalry in the IPL is fierce, and MSD is also possibly playing his last IPL. There are emotions all around, how his farewell at Chepauk could be teary this summer.
Imagine, if Virat Kohli is also going to bid adieu and decides not to pay cricket from 2024, his final wave to fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, home to RCB, will also be filled with mixed memories and emotions. To be sure, players respecting each other is a great sign. One saw at the Laver Cup in tennis last September, how Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were brimming with emotions. It was Federer’s farewell.
Sample this image, if Kohli and Dhoni embrace each other, a tight hug, a “thank you bro” feeling will emerge. Seemed impossible that in club cricket there would be such brotherhood. By speaking about his relationship again, Kohli has fondly remembered his mentor, his captain, Guru Dhoni. Guru Dakshina? Not really, this was genuine respect, a thanks from the heart. And the timing, perfect, bang, just before the IPL!
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)