After India's Asia Cup 2022, Super Four match against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday, Virat Kohli revealed that only his predecessor, Mahendra Singh Dhoni reached out to him when he left the Test captaincy.
Kohli hit a fluent 60 off 40 runs to help India post 181/7. But Pakistan chased down the target with one ball to spare. Defending champions India will now need to beat both Sri Lanka (on Tuesday) and Afghanistan (on Thursday) to reach the Asia Cup final.
After the five-wicket defeat at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the former India captain addressed the media. During the course of the interaction, the 33-year-old candidly talked about his desire to play cricket, his interactions with Pakistani cricketers, and also about his form, or the lack of it.
In one such passage, the ever-expressive Kohli revealed that MS Dhoni was the only person who had reached out to him during the tumultuous period in his career.
"I can tell you one thing. When I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person, with whom I have played previously - that was MS Dhoni," Kohli said. "Many people have my number. On TV, lots of people give suggestions, people have a lot to say, but whoever had my number, no one sent me a message.
Kohli, who last scored an international century in November 2019, stepped down as India's T20I captain after the T20 World Cup in September 2021. In December, he was removed as the ODI skipper, and then relinquished the Test captaincy in January earlier this year amid a protracted tussle with BCCI mandarins.
Kohli talked at length about his relationship with Dhoni.
"That respect, that connection you have with anyone, when it is genuine, it shows in this fashion because there is security at both ends. Neither does he need anything from me, nor do I need anything from him, and neither was he insecure from me nor I was insecure from him.
"I can only say this, if I want to say anything to anyone, I reach out to that person individually even if you want to help me," he added.
