India Great Questions Timing Of Virat Kohli's 'Only MS Dhoni Messaged' Comment

An emotional Virat Kohli caused sensation after India's loss to Pakistan in their Asia Cup Super 4 tie on Sunday when he said in a press conference that nobody except MS Dhoni texted him when he quit Test captaincy last year. "I can say one thing that when I announced my resignation from Test captaincy, I got message from only one person with whom I player earlier, that is MS Dhoni. Many people have my number...many people give suggestions on TV...but the people who had my number, nobody messaged. The respect, the connection that you have with somebody, when that is genuine, it shows this way," Kohli said.

Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar gave a strong take on Kohli's comments. "What message did he want? Encouragement? But then he is done with captaincy, so why would he need encouragement? That chapter (captaincy) is already closed," Gavaskar said on Sports Tak.

He felt rather when one leaves captaincy, the best part is about being able to focus solely on one's game. "Now you are playing only as a cricketer. So focus on that role because when you are the captain, you think about and worry about your mates. Once captaincy is over, it's time to focus on your own game," the legendary opener added.

Gavaskar's long-time teammate and 1983 World Cup winner Madan Lal has now supported Gavaskar. "I agree with what Sunny bhai said. At this time, he should not have given such comments. Because you are playing important matches. You are playing an important tournament for which you have to qualify for final. It's good that you are in form. But if you feel that people did not call you...sometimes when you are in trouble you have to approach people. He could have said the same thing one-two months back. You have to approach when you are in trouble. Egos should not clash here," Madan Lal said on Sports Tak.

Kohli, who had been battling a lean patch for the past few months, has shown signs of coming back to form with two straight half-centuries in Asia Cup.

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli MS Dhoni India Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Asia Cup, 2022 Cricket