Virat Kohli slams MS Dhoni’s critics: The Indian captain was vocal about the legendary cricketers and explained why he is vital to the team.
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India captain Virat Kohli and Head Coach Ravi Shastri expect both former captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni and vice-captain Rohit Sharma to contribute to the leadership department in the imminent ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, both Kohli and Shastri highlighted Dhoni and Sharma’s captaincy stint in the recently concluded Indian Premier League and disclosed the pair being part of a strategy pool.
“MS [Dhoni] and Rohit [Sharma] – both. The way they’ve gone about with their respective roles – as captains [in IPL]. Speaks volumes of what they bring to the table.
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“MS in particular has a legacy. So, it augurs so well for this team to have both of them in a leadership role. That’s why, the team management decided to have a strategy pool in place which MS and Rohit are part of along with us,” Kohli and Shastri expressed a similar opinion on Dhoni and Sharma.
Virat Kohli on MS Dhoni’s importance in the team
Much like many other players of the current Indian team, Kohli had also made his debut under Dhoni. Being asked about Dhoni being half the batsman the he used to be during his off days, Kohli laid emphasis on him being a team player and contributing in other ways.
“What can I say about him. My career started under him and few have seen him from so close over the last few years as I have. There’s one thing about MS that’s far more important than anything else – and there’s a lot to him – for him, the team is always above everything else. It’s always about the team, no matter what.
“To top it, look at the experience he brings to the squad and we’re richer with it. Some of his dismissals behind the stumps, just recently too [in IPL], were match-changing,” Kohli was quoted as saying.
Virat Kohli slams MS Dhoni’s critics
The year 2018 had witnessed Dhoni struggling for runs. It was also the period when there were widespread talks of him retiring from international cricket. While the 37-year old cricketer’s critics has written him off, he took many by surprise with his performance this year.
Calling Dhoni being at the receiving end of criticism as “unfortunate”, Kohli believed Dhoni to be among the “smartest guys” in the game. “That’s unfortunate [criticism]. Honestly, I think people lack patience. An odd day here, a poor one there, and chatter becomes endless.
“But the fact is that MS Dhoni is among the smartest guys in the game. Behind the stumps, as I said, he’s priceless. It gives me the freedom to do my thing. Someone like MS is around with a wealth of experience,” Kohli added.
