Ever since Virat Kohli took over the captaincy from MS Dhoni, the former has always maintained that MS’ role in the side goes beyond the runs he scores or his prowess behind the wickets.
Ahead of the World Cup in England, Virat Kohli lent his resounding support to the former Indian captain, stating that Dhoni provides him with the freedom to make decisions despite having led the side for so long.
The skipper also said that Dhoni’s is among the “smartest” minds in world cricket.
“What can I say about him. My career started under him and few have seen him from so close over the last few years as I have,” Virat told Cricbuzz.
“There's one thing about MS that's far more important than anything else - and there's a lot to him - for him, the team is always above everything else. It's always about the team, no matter what. To top it, look at the experience he brings to the squad and we're richer with it. Some of his dismissals behind the stumps, just recently too (in IPL), were match-changing.”
Shielding him from criticism, Virat Kohli insisted that there is a significant lack of patience among the people.
“That's [criticism] unfortunate. Honestly, I think people lack patience. An odd day here, a poor one there, and chatter becomes endless.
“But the fact is that MS Dhoni is among the smartest guys in the game. Behind the stumps, as I said, he's priceless. It gives me the freedom to do my thing. Someone like MS is around with a wealth of experience.”
India’s head coach Ravi Shastri, along with Virat Kohli, vouched for both, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to play a supporting role in leadership throughout the World Cup.
Rohit led his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians to their fourth IPL title last week, beating Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings.
“MS and Rohit – both [will help in leading]. The way they've gone about with their respective roles - as captains (in IPL) - speaks volumes of what they bring to the table.
“MS, in particular, has a legacy. So, it augurs so well for this team to have both of them in a leadership role. That's why, the team management decided to have a strategy pool in place which MS and Rohit are part of along with us.”
