MS Dhoni's reputation of being incommunicado in times of need is growing by the day, says a report in Hindustan Times, adding that last year this time, VVS Laxman, in the middle of making a tough call on retirement, found him out of reach.
Dhoni didn't even reply to his text messages. This time, Virat Kohli seems to be sending text messages to outer space. The man tipped to be India's future captain has just returned home after leading his team to a 5-0 thrashing of Zimbabwe.
On Wednesday, he acknowledged the lessons he's learnt from Dhoni but mentioned his skipper's habit. "Well, when he goes away on holidays, it is very hard to contact him. I…I tried to message him on the phone but I couldn't reach him. But I'll be seeing him soon I guess. And I'll speak to him about it," said Virat, almost trying to suppress a smile.
According to a report in The Times of India, Virat Kohli on Wednesday said the tips he picked up from skipper MS Dhoni in the West Indies proved beneficial for him while leading a young Indian team in Zimbabwe, where they inflicted a 5-0 series whitewash on the hosts.
Kohli had captained the Indian side in three One-dayers in the West Indies when Dhoni was sidelined after hurting his hamstring in the first match of the tri-nation series.
"He (Dhoni) is a guy who doesn't say much. But I keep talking to him about different situations and what I could do and how should I keep myself calm in pressure situations while captaining the side. It helped me chatting to him in the West Indies when he wasn't playing and I was captaining the side. All the tips he gave me really helped me," Kohli said when asked about Dhoni's influence on him as a leader.
Meanwhile, according to a report in Deccan Chronicle, Kohli also lauded left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who recently topped the ODI bowlers' chart in the ICC rankings, saying the consistency is paying off for the Saurahstra-lad .
"I am very very happy that he got the number one ODI bowling ranking. He has worked hard over the past few years. It is really good to see him come up the ranks as I have played U-19 cricket with him.
"I was the captain when he played with me in the U-19 World Cup. It's really good to see him grow in international cricket with all of us. I hope he keeps up the good in the future," Kohli said.