MS Dhoni will not pick up my phone 99 per cent of times: Virat Kohli on former India captain

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Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni have always been two best friends during their time together in the Indian team.

Kohli took over the Indian captaincy from Dhoni, but the relationship between the two has always been very amicable. And the chemistry between them has ticked both on and off the field. The former India captain Kohli recently gave an account of how MS Dhoni was such a pivotal character in his formative days and during the tough period in the Indian dressing room.

While speaking on the RCB Podcast Season 2, Kohli shared some insights into the working points of his kinship with Dhoni.

"I have experienced a different kind of phase in my career currently. It's been a while since I felt (this) free in the sense how I felt all these years of playing at any level of cricket," said Kohli.

"What is interesting is that throughout this phase apart from Anushka, who has been the biggest source of strength for me because she has been with me throughout this whole time and she has seen me very closely as how have I felt, things that I have gone through, the kind of things that have happened...the only person who, apart from my childhood coach and family...genuinely reached out to me has been MS Dhoni," he added.

Kohli shared the dressing room with Dhoni for 11 years during their stint with Team India between 2008 and 2019. During that time, the pair won the World Cup in 2011 and also lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013.

"He reached out to me and you can rarely get in touch with him. If I call him on any random day, 99 percent he will not pick up (the phone), because he just does not look at the phone. So, for him to reach out to me...twice it has happened now and one of the things that he'd mentioned in the message while reaching out to me was that: 'when you are expected to be strong and looked at as a strong individual people forget to ask how are you doing?'

Virat Kohli's association with the Royal Challengers Bangalore started in 2008 and became the team's captain in 2011 until he stepped away from the role in 2021.

He further added, "So, it (Dhoni's words) hit home for me because I have always been looked at as someone who is very confident, mentally very strong, who can endure any circumstances and find a way and show us the way. Sometimes, what you realise is that at any given point of time in life as a human being you need to take a couple of steps backwards, understand how you are doing, how your well-being is placed."

Kohli offers the reason for Dhoni reaching out to him while stressing the point of them going through similar phases in life and career. Kohli also believes that the compassion Dhoni showed was such a touching experience for him.

(with inputs from agency)