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Virat Kohli is accustomed to all the comparisons because of his greatness as a batter. With all the runs and records across the formats for the India National Cricket Team, many cricket fans compare him with cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.
Virat, however, never compares himself to any other legends of Indian cricket. Whether it is Sachin Tendulkar or the former India captain MS Dhoni, the Delhi-born maintains a respectful approach. During a recent interview, the batter again faced comparisons, which he tackled with grace.
Virat Kohli talks about MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar
In the conversation, Virat Kohli explained the fact that truth is truth; no matter how much he achieved in his career, the truth is never going to change, as everyone has his own space in their field of work.
Talking about Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, Kohli mentioned that Sachin is always going to be Sachin and MS Dhoni will remain the first captain of Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli acknowledges MS Dhoni as his first captain
These are like infinite truths to Virat, as he himself captained the Indian National Cricket Team during his prime days.
"Sachin Paji (Sachin Tendulkar) is always going to be Sachin Paji, right? MS Dhoni is always going to be MS Dhoni in terms of my first captain. These things cannot change inside me. Because I've never looked at myself as a guy who, oh, now I have kind of established and achieved. You never really get to a position where you say, that's it. You know, I've done it," Kohli said during the conversation.
🚨 Virat Kohli about MS Dhoni -
— MS (@THALAA7781) September 27, 2026
MS Dhoni was my first captain and he'll always be my captain. It will never change. pic.twitter.com/VWkE3oJNBG
When Kohli made his Team India debut, MS Dhoni was the captain. The initial stage of Virat Kohli with the Men in Blue was not very comfortable for the batter, struggling to maintain form. Dhoni then played a massive role in protecting Virat Kohli's international career.
The relationship between Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni
It was earlier reported that it was MS Dhoni who protected Virat Kohli from being dropped from the team. Dhoni actively groomed Kohli as his successor, seamlessly handing over the Test captaincy in 2014 and limited-overs leadership in 2017. Contrasting Styles, Complementary.
They developed a very close bond while playing for the national cricket team, across the formats. Because of the bond, Kohli got to learn the insights of leadership by captaining the Indian cricket team at the highest level of the game. Later, when Virat Kohli became the captain of the team, he took the leadership role with a different approach. Virat followed Dhoni's never-die attitude but with more aggression.
While MS Dhoni gained the nickname 'Captain Cool' for his cool and calm mindset on the ground, Virat was aggressive and intimidating during the matches. Under the leadership of Kohli, the Indian cricket team claimed the top spot on the ladder in the longest format of the game. But staying humble, he said that MS Dhoni was his first captain and would remain his first captain for the rest of his life.
