IND vs PAK: Only MS Dhoni Messaged Me When I Stepped Down As Test Captain: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli discussed the time when he stepped down as Test captain and highlighted his special bond with MS Dhoni.

A major revelation by Kohli was that Dhoni was the only person to personally message him after he resigned as Test captain and that most others had just offered him advice from the outside.

India’s top batsman Virat Kohli maintained his comeback and produced his second consecutive half-century of the competition, despite the Men in Blue’s heartbreaking loss to Pakistan in the opening match of the 2022 Asia Cup.

India put up a big total of 181 after the openers got off to a solid start, and Kohli held the fort as the middle order struggled. With four boundaries and a six, Kohli hit 60 runs in just 44 balls. The Men in Green, though, maintained their composure to win by five wickets and cap off an exciting run chase.

Only MS Dhoni texted him after he stepped down as Test captain: Virat Kohli

After the game, Kohli spoke at the post-game press conference and made a significant revelation in response to questions about his off-field difficulties over the previous six months and the common opinion surrounding him. Even though many people have his phone number, only MS Dhoni texted him after he stepped down as Test captain earlier this year, as per Kohli.

“When I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person, with whom I played in the past. It was MS Dhoni. A lot of people have my number, a lot of people give me suggestions, and a lot of people talk about my game on TV. But out of those people who had my number, I didn’t get a message from anyone else barring Dhoni.”

“You have respect, you have a genuine connection with a few people and it looks like that (Dhoni messaging him). It’s two-way security, I don’t want anything from them nor do they want anything from me. I don’t feel insecure with him, nor does he feel insecure with me,” said Kohli in the press conference.

When India was eliminated from the 2021 T20 World Cup after falling to close rivals Pakistan in the opening game, everything for Kohli started to fall. Following this, Kohli resigned as T20 captain, and the BCCI later stripped him of his ODI captaincy. He also left his position as Test captain in January 2022.

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