"Shoulder to shoulder, we just collided" - Former teammate's stunning revelation of fight with Virat Kohli

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has opened up about a clash with veteran batter Virat Kohli. The 39-year-old recently appeared on Raj Shamani’s YouTube podcast, released on Tuesday, September 30, where he recalled a heated moment between him and Kohli.

Dhawan narrated that the incident occurred when they were young during warm-ups while playing football, and the two collided shoulder to shoulder. Dhawan said:

“Virat and I had a clash while playing football during warm-up. Shoulder to shoulder, we just collided, it wasn’t like either of us could back off. We were young too. When playing football, tempers flare up, and those bursts of energy come instantly, not slowly.”

“Even during warm-ups, we played football with full intensity, really wanting to win. After that, they slowly stopped our football sessions because people would fight, injuries could happen. But still, all of us were such athletes,” he added.

Shikhar Dhawan retired from international cricket in August 2024, while Virat Kohli is expected to return to action in the three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning on October 19 in Perth.

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“Rohit would watch and laugh” - Shikhar Dhawan opens up on best moment with India’s ODI skipper

During the same interaction, Shikhar Dhawan also spoke about his bond with India’s ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, both on and off the field, saying:

“One of my favorite moments was when I used to sing on the pitch, and Rohit would watch and laugh. For example, when an over ended and we were walking, I would come singing, and he would laugh because he enjoyed it. It would also pump him up. Those fun moments are my favorite memories. We have also performed a lot together and had big dinners, laughed a lot, and created chaos together.”

Dhawan also reminisced about his partnership with Rohit Sharma, recalling the 2013 ODI match against Australia in Jaipur, where chasing 360, India won by nine wickets with Dhawan (95), Rohit (141*), and Virat Kohli (100*) all starring. He said:

“There were many memorable games. In Australia against Jaipur, the three of us pulled the game together. I scored 95, Rohit probably made 100, and Virat maybe 100 as well. Our partnership in the Champions Trophy was also special, our first partnership, and it was really good because it was a tough match.”

“What I can say about Rohit is that he is a very chilled-out, very relaxed person, very laid-back, but at the same time very skillful and very knowledgeable about his batting. He is also a great leader, of course, having won a World Cup and a Champions Trophy, that’s a different level. He has won those, but his bond with the boys is very good,” he added.

Meanwhile, like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma has retired from Test and T20Is but continues to play in ODIs.