Happy Birthday Dhoni: Captain Virat Kohli wishes ‘skipper’ Mahi on his 40th

Virat Kohli shares a great bonhomie with MS Dhoni, under whom he made his debut. Kohli learned a lot from his former skipper and grew in confidence as well as stature while playing under Dhoni’s guidance and leadership.

Team India captain Virat Kohli (left) with MS Dhoni. (Source: Twitter)

Team India skipper Virat Kohli wished his former captain MS Dhoni on his 40th birthday on Wednesday (July 7). Kohli, who is currently in London ahead of India’s five-Test series against England, took to his Instagram handle to wish Dhoni his birth anniversary. The current captain shared a photo of the 2011 World Cup in which Kohli and Dhoni are enjoying the final win of the team.

Kohli shares a great bonhomie with MS Dhoni, under whom he made his debut. Kohli learned a lot from his former skipper and grew in confidence as well as stature while playing under Dhoni’s guidance and leadership. Dhoni had also backed Kohli in the initial stage of his career.

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Kohli had a forgettable tour of England in 2014 but Dhoni had put his weight behind the rising star of Indian cricket. Furthermore, Dhoni played a key role in handing over the captaincy mantle to Virat Kohli when the former decided to relinquish his duties.

Meanwhile, Dhoni and Kohli have shared utmost respect for each other. Kohli has learned a lot from MS Dhoni and had said on multiple occasions that Dhoni will always be his captain.

MS Dhoni-led India to top in all three formats of the game. Dhoni was handed over the captaincy for the 2007 T20 World Cup when the big Indian players decided to back out. Subsequently, Dhoni also led India to glory in the 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.

Dhoni scored 4876 runs in 90 Test matches at an average of 38.09. The former Indian captain had a glorious career in the limited-overs format as he amassed 10773 runs in 350 ODI matches and scored 1617 runs in 98 T20I matches. Kohli will lead India in the five-match Test series against England, starting from August 4.