"More like an elder brother for me" - Virat Kohli extends heartwarming greetings on MS Dhoni's birthday

Former India captain Virat Kohli penned a heartwarming note for MS Dhoni, who is celebrating his 41st birthday on Thursday (July 7).

Kohli, who made his Test and ODI debut under Dhoni, shares a great bond with the former Indian player. Kohli thrived under Dhoni to become who he is today. Over the years, both have shared great admiration for each other and have always spoken highly of each other's accomplishments.

The Delhi-born cricketer, who is currently in the UK with the Indian squad, called Dhoni "more like an elder brother" in his birthday post on Twitter, writing:

"A leader like no other. Thanks for everything you have done for Indian cricket. You became more like an elder brother for me. Nothing but love and respect always. Happy birthday skip @msdhoni."

Dhoni, who is the only captain to win three ICC trophies, announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020.

During his reign as the Indian captain, the Men in Blue achieved great heights to become a powerhouse in world cricket. Dhoni is arguably the greatest finisher of the modern era, having won innumerable matches with the bat for his country.

Virat Kohli, on the other hand, had a forgettable outing at the recently concluded Edgbaston Test. He returned with scores of 11 and 20 as his rough patch with the bat continued. The talismanic scorer will hope to redeem himself in the upcoming white-ball series against England.

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Virat Kohli rested from West Indies ODIs

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), meanwhile, has rested captain Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah for the three-match ODIs against the West Indies to be held later this month.

Incidentally, these three players were also not part of the T20Is against South Africa and Ireland.

A handful of young cricketers will get a shot at claiming their stakes in the ODI side, which will be led by veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan. Ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been named as his deputy for the West Indies series.

The three ODIs are scheduled to take place on July 22, 24, and 27. The Port of Spain will host all the one-dayers.

India squad for West Indies series: Shikhar Dhawan (C), Ravindra Jadeja (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh