Back in 2012, Virat Kohli was struggling to get runs in Test cricket and was very close to losing his place in the side, but he found a vocal supporter in his captain MS Dhoni. He vindicated this decision by slamming a century in Adelaide and has not looked back since. And now, when Dhoni was struggling to get going in ODIs, Kohli threw all his support behind the former captain. The two combine beautifully on the field and Indian cricket prospers.
The two blokes who are stark opposite to each other add the perfect balance to the side and head coach Ravi Shastri spoke at length about how the duo have been contributing to the Indian side.
"Each one has his own style and each one is different. When you mention Virat and MS, yes, they are different, the way they play and the way they captain. MS was the senior man when Virat was coming through the ranks," Shastri told Mirror Now.
'Mutual respect for each other is massive'
"Virat gave him the respect he deserved. Now MS is not the captain, Virat is, so MS does the same thing. The mutual respect for each other is massive and that's all you want as a coach," he further added.
Such is the bond between the two players that Dhoni has a free hand to conduct the way bowlers and fielders strategise on the field even in the presence of Kohli. The players too have said that Dhoni's tactical nous and advice from behind the stumps is exceptional.
Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne too said that Kohli is a terrific leader but the presence of Dhoni in the side gives him the tactical edge as well as he a wealth of experience to guide him. He also believed that India and Kohli needed Dhoni's calmness in the World Cup when the pressure will be extreme.
"Virat Kohli is a terrific leader but several times we can have experience of MS Dhoni to help Virat when pressure is on. It's easy to captain a side when things are going well but when it's tough you need experience like you saw in MS Dhoni. MS Dhoni is a great player," Warne said.
