"That's something that has been of great help to him" - When MS Dhoni reasoned out Virat Kohli's supreme consistency during T20 World Cup 2014

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli shared an unmatched bond during their respective stints as captain and vice-captain in the Indian cricket team’s history. Under Dhoni’s leadership, Kohli thrived, emerging as the chase master and match winner across formats.

The three-time ICC title-winning captain also gave Kohli the due credit wherever he deserved. With the Delhi batter at the peak of scoring abilities in the 2014 T20 World Cup, Dhoni revealed how Kohli’s early failures to convert starts into big scores only increased his hunger to do well for the team. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter said (via ESPNcricinfo):

“That's something that has been of great help to him. Throughout whatever I have seen, he is somebody who wants to improve in each and every game.”

He continued:

“We tried to give him an opportunity at the top of the batting order, and I am talking about the initial years, and there were three-four games where he got out after a good start - scored close to 60, 65, 70, got runs, and got out.”

“He was really disappointed with himself and wanted to improve on that. Because of all those reasons, today you see him as a consistent performer, somebody who doesn't throw his wicket and at the same time scores at a pace which is very difficult to match by some of the other individuals, yet he plays very authentic cricketing shots," Dhoni added.

Virat Kohli emerged as the leading run-getter in the 2014 T20 World Cup, amassing 319 runs in six innings at an average of 106.33, including four half-centuries. His performance helped the Men in Blue reach the final that year. He smashed 77 off 58 balls against Sri Lanka in the summit clash, but the latter won the game by six wickets to lift their maiden trophy.

Ten years later, Kohli played a match-winning knock (76 runs off 59 balls) against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He retired from the format after winning his first T20 World Cup trophy.

“Very different” – MS Dhoni’s ultimate praise for Virat Kohli during the 2014 T20 World Cup

MS Dhoni believed that Virat Kohli was ahead with his game as compared to his teammates like Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, or Suresh Raina, when it comes to grabbing opportunities with both hands. He said (via ESPNcricinfo):

"Virat is somebody who is very different if you compare him to someone like a Rohit Sharma or a Yuvraj Singh or Suresh Raina.”

“That is how the character of the side builds. He has done fantastically well in the last few years. I feel he has been someone who has grabbed the opportunity to the best potential he had. Because more often than not you will see individuals, if they get five games they will say, 'If I had two more games I would have done something'. But you see Virat, the very first game he gets as an opportunity, he grabs it with both hands,” he added.

Virat Kohli is currently making headlines as he is reportedly considering a retirement from Test cricket ahead of the five-match Test series in England.