MS Dhoni has never shied away from admitting that he isn’t the best at staying in touch with people. Several of his former teammates, including some who played key roles in India’s World Cup victories, have humorously or seriously pointed out how difficult it is to get a response from him off the field. However, Virat Kohli is an exception. Dhoni has personally reached out to him on rare occasions, with one of the most significant instances occurring in January 2022, when Kohli stepped down as India’s Test captain just before the South Africa tour.
Later that year, after India’s Asia Cup defeat to Pakistan despite Kohli’s valiant 60 off 44, the star batter revealed in a press conference how a single message from Dhoni had lifted his spirits during a difficult time. “Let me tell you one thing: when I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person, with whom I had played previously; that was MS Dhoni,” Kohli had shared. “Many people have my number. On TV, people give lots of suggestions; people have a lot to say. But none of the people who had my number sent me a message.”
Now, three years later, Dhoni has finally broken his silence on that message. Speaking at a corporate event, he acknowledged the moment when asked about it. “It’s déjà vu. I was asked a similar question in a JioHotstar show; you will see the answer during the IPL. I’m not great when it comes to being in touch with people but yeah, certain times when someone needs you, you just drop in a message,” Dhoni said in a video that has since gone viral.
Here is the video:
As always, Dhoni remains a man of few words, but his timely support for Kohli in that crucial phase has only deepened the mutual respect between two of India’s greatest cricketing leaders.
