Virat Kohli’s childhood coach underlines how MS Dhoni aided Kohli in becoming a modern-day icon

Virat Kohli is one of the finest cricketers to have represented the Indian cricket team in the last decade and a half and he had to brave countless obstacles to achieve all that he has.

However, there has always been a presence watching out for him, an essential part of a young cricketer’s growth in the circuit. It is said that the world looks beautiful from the top but reaching the top alone is not possible even in the wildest dreams. Virat Kohli’s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, has credited MS Dhoni for being the star cricketer’s big brother and lending a helping hand to the run-machine.

Speaking to India News Sports, Sharma said, “Virat [Kohli] has always respected MS Dhoni and considers him a big brother. When Dhoni played under Virat, we saw Virat go at the long on during the death overs.”

He further added, “He knew that his big brother was there to handle things. This allowed him to field in the deep, as you need to have good fielders in those positions towards the backend of the innings. I really appreciate Dhoni for supporting Virat at a time when others targeted him.”

In the recently released RCB Bold Diaries episode, Virat Kohli opened up on how MS Dhoni has always been by his side, moulding him into the force that he is today.

Talking on Kohli’s captaincy stint, Sharma added, “Virat Kohli's biggest achievement was that he changed the fitness culture in Indian cricket. The team was the fittest during his captaincy. He did it himself first and led from the front. Earlier, players didn't do weight training.”

The Virat Kohli-MS Dhoni partnership on and off the cricket field defined a major period of Indian cricket until the latter decided to hang his boots and move away from the game. However, what Dhoni did was not just leave Indian cricket but leave it in safe hands under Kohli’s captaincy.