What’s the story?
Virat Kohli described getting the limited-overs captaincy as a special moment and was quick to thank MS Dhoni for his support during the whole process. The 28-year-old heaped praise on MS Dhoni, who he hopes will express himself more freely as a batsman and thanked Dhoni for saving him from the axe on several occasions.
Speaking to Bcci.tv, Kohli said: “What I am really, really happy about and what I am most pleased about is the fact that he will be able to play free cricket. He will be able to express himself as the aggressive MS Dhoni that we knew when he came into the team. I think it's time he enjoys his cricket for how much ever time he wants and really express himself because he has taken so much burden for the country and now it's his time to enjoy it.”
The 28-year-old also added that Dhoni will always remain his captain and was glowing in his praise of India's most successful skipper.
“For me, he is always going to be my captain because I started my career under him, he is handing over the leadership to me and for me he will always be my captain, he will always be the person who guided me initially, who gave me opportunities, who gave me ample space and ample time to grow as a cricketer, who saved me from getting dropped from the team many a times and that's why there is a huge amount of respect.”
Extra Cover: Rahul Dravid believes Virat Kohli will want MS Dhoni to perform well
In case you didn’t know...
Days before the squad for the ODI and T20I series against England was announced, MS Dhoni stepped down from limited-overs captaincy and along with the squad announcement came the news that Virat Kohli will now captain India across all formats.
The heart of the matter
Kohli admitted that the limited-overs captaincy was something he was really looking forward to. Speaking about the biggest day of his life, he was quick to thank Dhoni and added that he will continue to pick the Jharkhand-born’s “cricketing brain” and take his advice on the field.
Kohli also added that he was very grateful to be given this responsibility and admitted that he has learnt a lot from ‘Mahi’, the captain not just on the field but also in the way he conducted himself throughout this whole process. He also thanked Dhoni for thinking that he was worthy of taking that responsibility forward.
What next?
The focus will shift from MS Dhoni stepping down to India's final bit of preparation ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. India’s ODI and T20I series against England will start on January 15 with Dhoni and several other players taking part in the warm-up game before that.
Sportskeeda’s take
The amount of mutual respect between Dhoni and Kohli is there for all to see. With Kohli keen on helping India see more of MS Dhoni the batsman, it will be interesting to see how the batting order lines up for the ODI series. If the 35-year-old can rediscover his midas touch with the bat then India will be a strong contender for the Champions Trophy.
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