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'Not Great When It Comes To..,': Dhoni Reveals Why He Messaged Kohli After His Test Captaincy Exit

Rajgeeta Yadav

MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Messaged Virat Kohli [Source: @mahedele20181/X.com]MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Messaged Virat Kohli [Source: @mahedele20181/X.com]

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Former Indian captain MS Dhoni is known for being a private person who doesn’t always stay in touch with his former teammates. Many cricketers have mentioned that it’s tough to reach him once he’s off the field. However, Virat Kohli is one of the few players who has consistently kept in touch with him—and there’s a reason for that.

In January 2022, when Virat Kohli shocked everyone by stepping down as India’s Test captain after the South Africa tour, Dhoni was the only former teammate to send him a message. Kohli himself revealed this surprising fact.

Speaking about that phase, Kohli said:

"Let me tell you one thing: when I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person, with whom I had played previously; that was MS Dhoni," Kohli said. "Many people have my number. On TV, people give lots of suggestions; people have a lot to say. But none of the people who had my number sent me a message." 

MS Dhoni Reveals Why He Messaged Virat Kohli

Ahead of IPL 2025, MS Dhoni was asked about this during an event, and he explained why he sent Kohli a message.

"It's deja vu. I was asked a similar question in a JioHotsar show; you will see the answer during the IPL. I'm not great when it comes to being in touch with people but yeah, certain times when you someone needs you, you just drop in a message," Dhoni said in a video that has been circulating on social media.


MS Dhoni Stood By Kohli During Tough Times

Kohli went through a challenging phase in his career back then. After India’s disappointing T20 World Cup 2021 campaign, he stepped down as T20I captain. Shortly after, he was removed as India’s ODI captain for the South Africa tour, and within weeks, he also gave up his Test captaincy.

At the same time, his batting form had dipped, and he was struggling to make a big impact. It was during this difficult period that Dhoni’s message came through.

Meanwhile, Kohli and Dhoni will soon face each other on the field when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2025 on March 28.