5 players who you may not know were teammates with MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in the IPL ft. Cheteshwar Pujara

Cheteshwar Pujara recently announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. While he was known for his immaculate performances in Test cricket, Cheteshwar Pujara also featured in the IPL alongside former captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.

MS Dhoni has been with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since the league began in 2008. When the franchise was not a part of the IPL in 2016 and 2017, Dhoni represented the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants. On the other hand, Virat Kohli has spent all 18 seasons of the league with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who are the defending champions.

Dhoni and Kohli have been two massive figures not just in world cricket but also in the IPL over the years. Players from across the globe have expressed their privilege to have shared the dressing room with the two icons. Very few among these have had the opportunity to play with both of them.

That said, here are five players who you may not know were teammates with both MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in the IPL.

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#5 Steve Smith

Kings XI Punjab And Rajasthan Royals Practice Session In Jaipur - Source: Getty

Back when Steve Smith was seen as a leg-spinner in his early days, the modern-day great was first picked by RCB in the IPL. It was during the 2010 season that they roped him in as a replacement for Jesse Ryder. However, he did not get a game and was released ahead of the next season.

Much later, Steve Smith was a part of the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 and 2017. He played under Dhoni in 2016 and went on to captain the side in 2017. Smith played 103 IPL games and scored 2485 runs at an average of 34.51 and a strike-rate of 128.09 with a century.

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#4 Dirk Nannes

Pakistan v Australia - ICC T20 World Cup - Source: Getty

Former left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes, who represented both Australia and the Netherlands, began his IPL journey with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2009. After two seasons, Nannes was picked by RCB in 2011. However, he played just two games before he was ruled out due to an injury. The franchise replaced him with Chris Gayle, which turned out to be an iconic signing.

Nannes returned to the league in 2013, when he was signed by CSK. The left-arm quick played just five games that season. He did not have a significant run in the IPL and played 29 matches overall, bagging 28 wickets at an average of 28.03 and a strike-rate of 23.

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#3 Lockie Ferguson

New Zealand v Pakistan - 2nd ODI - Source: Getty

New Zealand fast-bowler Lockie Ferguson's maiden IPL stint came in 2017 with the Rising Pune Supergiants. He was roped in at his base price of ₹50 Lakhs. Ferguson played four games that season and was released ahead of IPL 2018.

After he was released by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2023, RCB acquired his services for ₹2 crore ahead of the 2024 season. He played seven games and bagged nine wickets at an average of 28.33. Lockie Ferguson has made 49 appearances so far and has picked up 51 wickets.

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#2 Mayank Agarwal

2025 IPL: Final - Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Punjab Kings - Source: Getty

Hailing from Karnataka, local lad Mayank Agarwal began his IPL journey with RCB in 2011. He spent three seasons in his first stint with the franchise till 2013 before being released. Ahead of the 2017 season, Mayank was traded from the Delhi Daredevils to the Rising Pune Supergiants. He played three games for them and was released.

The right-hander was signed as a replacement for the injured Devdutt Padikkal towards the later stages of IPL 2025 by RCB. Returning for his second stint, he made key contributions and scored 95 runs from four matches at a strike-rate of 148.43 as they won their maiden IPL title.

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#1 Cheteshwar Pujara

India Training - ICC World Test Championship Final 2023 - Source: Getty

As mentioned earlier, Cheteshwar Pujara is among the few players who were teammates with Dhoni and Kohli in the IPL. His first franchise in the league was KKR in 2010. After he was released by them, RCB splurged ₹3.22 crores for Cheteshwar Pujara during the 2011 auction.

He spent three seasons with them and was released after IPL 2013. Cheteshwar Pujara's only half-century in the league came for RCB in 2013 against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), when he scored 51 runs off 48 balls.

After having last played in 2014, Cheteshwar Pujara returned to the IPL in 2021. He was signed by CSK for ₹50 Lakhs. While he did not play a game, he was a part of their squad that lifted the trophy, and thus, he became an IPL winner. Overall, Cheteshwar Pujara played 30 games and scored 390 runs at an average of 20.52.