Virat Kohli is preparing for the Asia Cup, but he appeared to pause for an emotional moment while playing with numbers on Thursday. The former India captain, who recently celebrated his 14th year in international cricket, wrote on social media about his career’s “most enjoyable and exciting period.” Kohli stated that he spent this time as MS Dhoni’s deputy in the Indian team.
The 33-year-old star batter served as Dhoni’s vice-captain in all formats for a long time before taking over as Test captain in 2014 and overall captaincy in 2017. “Working as this man’s trusted deputy was the most enjoyable and exciting time of my career.” Our collaborations will always be special to me. “7+18,” Kohli said in a post that included a photo of him raising his bat with Dhoni in the background during a match. The “7+18” refers to Dhoni’s jersey number 7 and Kohli’s jersey number 18, which add up to 25, the date on Thursday.
Being this man’s trusted deputy was the most enjoyable and exciting period in my career. Our partnerships would always be special to me forever. 7+18 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PafGRkMH0Y
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) August 25, 2022
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During their time in international colours, Kohli and Dhoni have shared a number of memorable partnerships. The photo he shared is from India’s 2016 T20 World Cup victory over Australia in Mohali, where Kohli famously scored an unbeaten 82 off 51 deliveries to lead India to a six-wicket victory.
Kohli is hoping to regain the form that earned him the title of best batter in the world across all formats between 2016 and 2019. He has 27 Test centuries and 43 ODI hundreds but hasn’t scored a three-figure score since November 2019. Furthermore, Kohli’s declining strike rate in T20 cricket has raised concerns about his inclusion in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup later this year.
It is even more important for Kohli to find some form in the Asia Cup, which will be played in T20 format. India’s campaign kicks off on Sunday against archrivals Pakistan.
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