How MS Dhoni and Others Rescued Virat Kohli’s Career
Stars aren’t born—they’re often bolstered. In the early days of his international journey, Virat Kohli’s career nearly hit the buffers. But thanks to the timely backing and intervention of senior figures, his path was rescued and redirected toward greatness.
When Kohli broke into the Indian team in 2008, his talent was evident—but his consistency was not. In both Tests and limited-overs formats, he was under pressure. According to Kohli himself, Dhoni stepped in on more than one occasion to prevent his ouster from the side. Kohli said Dhoni “gave me ample time and space to grow… saved me from getting dropped from the team many a times.”
The story goes deeper. On the 2012 tour of Australia, India were trailing badly and looked ready to replace Kohli with another batsman. But Dhoni and veteran vice-captain Virender Sehwag insisted on backing the young player. That decision, many believe, transformed Kohli’s red-ball trajectory and gave him the stability he needed.
Behind the scenes, other forces played part too. Long-time coach Rajkumar Sharma guided Kohli’s technique from a young age. Former teammate AB de Villiers provided mental support during rough patches, reminding Kohli of his self-worth. One article even describes them as the four key figures—Dhoni, Sehwag, Sharma and de Villiers—who helped Kohli regain his direction, focus and confidence.
The result: today’s Kohli is a colossus. But stronger still is the lesson this offers to all athletes—that sometimes what you need isn’t just skill or drive, but a guardian: someone who believes in you when you falter, who gives you space to stumble and learn. In Kohli’s case, Dhoni was that guardian, and the resilient young batsman turned that faith into legacy.
In short: while Virat Kohli made the runs and broke the records, he might never have reached the heights if MS Dhoni and others had not intervened when his career was hanging in the balance.
When Kohli broke into the Indian team in 2008, his talent was evident—but his consistency was not. In both Tests and limited-overs formats, he was under pressure. According to Kohli himself, Dhoni stepped in on more than one occasion to prevent his ouster from the side. Kohli said Dhoni “gave me ample time and space to grow… saved me from getting dropped from the team many a times.”
The story goes deeper. On the 2012 tour of Australia, India were trailing badly and looked ready to replace Kohli with another batsman. But Dhoni and veteran vice-captain Virender Sehwag insisted on backing the young player. That decision, many believe, transformed Kohli’s red-ball trajectory and gave him the stability he needed.
Behind the scenes, other forces played part too. Long-time coach Rajkumar Sharma guided Kohli’s technique from a young age. Former teammate AB de Villiers provided mental support during rough patches, reminding Kohli of his self-worth. One article even describes them as the four key figures—Dhoni, Sehwag, Sharma and de Villiers—who helped Kohli regain his direction, focus and confidence.
The result: today’s Kohli is a colossus. But stronger still is the lesson this offers to all athletes—that sometimes what you need isn’t just skill or drive, but a guardian: someone who believes in you when you falter, who gives you space to stumble and learn. In Kohli’s case, Dhoni was that guardian, and the resilient young batsman turned that faith into legacy.
In short: while Virat Kohli made the runs and broke the records, he might never have reached the heights if MS Dhoni and others had not intervened when his career was hanging in the balance.