2017 ICC Champions Trophy: Inputs From MS Dhoni Are Priceless – Virat Kohli
Nov 2, 2023 at 3:41 PM
Time and again, Indian players have lauded their skipper Virat Kohli for showing enough faith in them irrespective of the situations and the skipper once again proved that why he is such a popular figure among his teammates.
After Team India stormed into the semifinal of the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over South Africa on Sunday (June 11), Kohli reiterated that the players need more freedom of expression and space to perform better. The 28-year old had previously said how he gave the players an earful after the Men in Blue suffered a shocking loss against Sri Lanka but said that one cannot consistently tell the international cricketers what to do and what not to do.
“(While) you have to point out things that didn’t go well, you don’t want to be nagging them too much because they are professional cricketers, and I’ve played with a lot of these guys. You have to understand how to speak to them and how to communicate and discuss things with them,” said Kohli.
The win over the Proteas was a set up by the bowlers but if there was one man who played an equally important role according to Kohli, he was his predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Earlier this year, India’s most decorated skipper had stepped down from captaincy amid talks of appointing Kohli as the skipper of all the formats, raising speculations of ego clashes in the dressing room.
However, the World Cup-winning skipper has been Kohli’s go-to man in tough situations and it was on full display during the must-win game against South Africa where Kohli was seen discussing strategies with Dhoni throughout the game.
“His (Dhoni’s) input is obviously always very precise, very helpful at any stage of the game. Today it was all about asking him whether to keep the slip in there long enough or what does he think of the fields and just taking assurance,” said Kohli.
“Obviously you don’t want to feel isolated out there. Yes, you’re making decisions, but the inputs from such experienced players are priceless at any stage of the day,” Kohli added.