T20 World Cup 2022: “There was always that trust” – Virat Kohli credits his growth to MS Dhoni

Senior Indian batter Virat Kohli shares a special bond with former India captain MS Dhoni. In a recent interview, he called the veteran cricketer his mentor during his early days for the Men in Blue. He also credited India’s most successful white-ball skipper for helping him in his growth as a cricketer.

The Delhi batter rose to prominence in international cricket during MS Dhoni’s captaincy. He has established himself as an iconic cricketer over the last decade. The 33-year-old has also scripted several records, like the second-most runs for India and joint-second highest centuries (71) in international cricket. Kohli is also the favorite to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s 100-centuries record.

Speaking to the ICC Review, the former Indian captain said:

“So, there was always that trust, faith between each other that we’re going to get the job done for the team and within that faith and trust, then the relationship evolved outside the game as well.”

Virat Kohli added:

“We spoke on many things, understood each other’s mindset, absolutely, clearly and the support he provided me in my early days was absolutely crucial for my growth for sure, and then towards the latter half of his career, I was constantly there for him.”

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“Misunderstanding once in about 10-12 years maybe” – Virat Kohli on his relationship with MS Dhoni

Virat Kohli also cherished his on-field partnerships with MS Dhoni. It was under Dhoni's reign that Kohli began to reach great heights of success.

“What I experienced with my friendship and relationship with MS is very difficult to explain in words because it’s based on understanding and trust. We never actually… when people talk about batting together and calling for runs.”

He even doubted if there was a misunderstanding between the two cricketers in their friendship over a decade.

“As soon as the ball went into the gap, we never called because I knew he knows he’s running for two and I’m running for two and it was never a case of… yes, misunderstanding once in about 10-12 years maybe, but apart from that we were so focused always on what the team wants and what we need to do for the team all the time.”

Virat Kohli will be crucial to fulfill Rohit Sharma’s ambition of lifting the T20 World Cup for India after a 15-year gap. The former India captain will look to continue his purple patch throughout the tournament.

The Men in Blue will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne on Sunday (October 23).

The right-handed batter enjoys an excellent record against Babar Azam and Co. and will be keen to give India a winning start to their Super 12 campaign. He has amassed 406 runs in nine matches against them in the shortest format, averaging 67.67.