DUBAI: Former Indian captain Virat Kohli revealed that only MS Dhoni texted him when he left the Test captaincy in January this year.
The right-handed batter, who top-scored for India with a brilliant 60 against Pakistan in a much-anticipated Asia Cup Super Fours clash on Sunday, talked to the presser where he revealed that only Dhoni texted him when he left the Test captaincy.
“When I left Test captaincy, I only received a message from one person and I have played with that person in the past. That person is MS Dhoni, anyone else did not message me. Many people have my number, and there are many people who give me suggestions on the TV,” Kohli stated.
“When you have genuine respect and connection with someone, you are able to see that because there is security from both sides,” he maintained.
The former captain also clarified and denied any insecurities with Dhoni before shading light on how one-on-one suggestions are better than those given in front of the entire world.
“I don’t want anything from him and he does not want anything from me. I was never insecure from him and he was never of me. I can just say that if I want to say something to someone, I will reach out individually,” Kohli said.
“Even if you want to help. If you want to give a suggestion to me in front of the TV or the whole world, it does not hold any value to me. You can talk 1-1, I see things with utmost honesty. It is not like I do not care, but you see the things how they are,” he added.
Kohli then went on to back India’s young pacer Arshdeep Singh, who dropped a sitter of Asif Ali in the 18th over which haunted the side in the next over as the right-handed batter went on to smash a boundary and a six to put Pakistan on the cusp of the resounding victory.
“Anyone can commit the mistake, the situation was tight. It was a high-pressure game and mistakes can happen,” said Kohli.
The right-handed batter also recalled his mistake against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2009 and revealed that he ‘stared at the ceiling till 5 am and thought his career was over’.
“I still remember I was playing my first Champions Trophy and the match was against Pakistan, I had played a very bad shot against Shahid Afridi. I was watching the ceiling till 5 am, I was not able to sleep and I thought my career is over but these things are natural,” Kohli shared.
“Seniors players get around you, there is a good team environment right now, I give the credit to the captain and coach. The players learn from their mistakes. So one must accept his mistake, address it and look forward to being in that pressure situation once again,” he maintained.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan avenged their Group A defeat by edge pasting arch-rivals India by five wickets in the Asia Cup Super Fours on Sunday.
