MS Dhoni picks Three India Legends in his 'Dream Team', Virat and Rohit not in the List

Even in a cricketing universe not bound by nationality or era, MS Dhoni chose to stay rooted - selecting only Indian cricketers when asked to pick his all-time dream team.

And while his choices pay homage to the golden generation he grew up watching, the omission of modern giants like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma was interesting.

MS Dhoni started his India career under Sourav Ganguly and played with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and other legends. As he grew in stature and became captain, Dhoni's captaincy was the breeding ground of present legends such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and others.

Speaking on a podcast with Raj Shamani, Dhoni named three stalwarts right off the bat - and all of them were from India's iconic early 2000s core.

"Yeah, I would stick to my Indian players," Dhoni said. "Viru pa (Virender Sehwag) opening the innings. So Viru pa, Sachin, Dada (Sourav Ganguly). Because, you know, the thing is, imagine everyone at their prime. And the beauty is when you see them playing, you will feel there's nobody better. But cricket is a game of ups and downs. So it becomes very difficult to pick, but growing up, we have all seen these players perform," Dhoni said.

The former India captain didn't go beyond those three names, choosing instead to explain why he doesn't believe in putting together a "dream team" in the first place.

"You know when Yuvi (Yuvraj) was hitting six sixes, you'd say you don't want to watch anyone else. So, the thing is, why I should pick anyone? Why can't I just enjoy everyone? You know, they all contributed for India. You know, they all made sure that we win many tournaments wherever we are playing," he added.

It's vintage Dhoni - diplomatic, nostalgic, and pragmatic. Still, his list nods more toward emotional impact and childhood admiration than stats or recency. The former India captain also acknowledged the fact of not knowing many talents, which may have gone unnoticed at a broader scale.

"Not everything was covered before (like today). There are a lot of performances that I may not be aware of, generations I may not be aware of but some of the talents we have seen especially at their peak, you will be like 'mind blowing'," he concluded.

The veteran is himself a legend and continues to play the high-stakes game. He is part of the Chennai Super Kings side in the IPL 2025 and has already made a mark this season.