10 Players MS Dhoni backed but Virat Kohli didn't in Tests

Indian cricket team has taken giant strides in the past few years and no one deserves more credit than Virat Kohli. The skipper has led the side from the front and took India to numerous wins across formats. He scored runs consistently and piled up a mountain of runs. At the same time, his leadership skills have also been lauded by many. Notably, Kohli took the reins of the Indian team from none other than MS Dhoni. Hence, he had massive boots to fill. It’s no secret that the current Indian skipper has great admiration for his predecessor. Kohli has never missed out on the opportunity of praising the talismanic wicketkeeper-batsman. He even credits Dhoni for his success at the highest level. Although Kohli looks up to the Ranchi-born cricketer, his captaincy style is way different from him. The 32-year-old follows an aggressive approach with winning matches being his only priority. Like any other captain, Kohli also has his set of preferred players. In fact, there also have been many players who were backed by Dhoni and not Kohli. We’ll have a look at them Let's look at the 10 Players MS Dhoni backed but Virat Kohli didn’t in Tests 10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: Twitter) One of the finest swing bowlers going around, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has proved his mettle across all three formats in Team India colours. Unlike many of his contemporaries, the right-arm pacer isn’t known for setting the speed gun on fire. However, he relies on his swing and accuracy to get the better of the batters. Bhuvneshwar started his Test career under MS Dhoni in 2013 and didn’t take long in making a mark. He constantly troubled batters with his swinging deliveries and impressed one and all. The 2014 tour of England was his breakthrough series. He took two five-wicket hauls in five Tests alongside scoring three half-centuries. While the fast bowler’s place in the Test team seemed cemented, he didn’t get regular chances under Kohli. Bhuvneshwar’s persistent injuries also played a part in keeping him away from red-ball cricket. However, the pacer wasn’t picked even when he was fit. The 31-year-old played his last match in January 2018 against South Africa. 9. Suresh Raina Suresh Raina. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) It’s no secret that Dhoni had immense faith in Suresh Raina’s prowess. After all, the southpaw can deliver in all three departments. He has taken the best of bowlers to cleaners and his ability to chip in with handy off-spin bowling made him an even greater asset. Not to forget, the talented cricketer has also changed games by creating magic on the field. Owing to this, Raina played regularly when Dhoni held the position at the helm. However, the left-handed batsman didn’t enjoy a great run in Test matches. Besides a century on debut, Raina doesn’t have much to show. Nevertheless, he was always around the Test team. However, things changed when Kohli took over as Test captain. In fact, Raina played his last Test match in Kohli’s maiden assignment as Test captain – the 2014-15 tour of Australia. Notably, the Chennai Super Kings star didn’t either play a lot of ODI and T20I cricket under the current skipper. His last outing in Team India colours came in 2018, and a couple of years later, he announced retirement from international cricket. 8. Shikhar Dhawan Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) One of the cornerstones of India’s current limited-overs team, Shikhar Dhawan boasts off a magnificent record in white-ball cricket. The opener attacks bowlers from the outset and playing big knocks isn’t beyond his reach either. Riding on his brilliance, the Men in Blue have won numerous games over the years. Dhawan’s record in Test cricket isn’t that bad either. In fact, the southpaw started his Test career in arguably the most emphatic manner. He made a mockery of the Australian bowlers in Mohali and scored 188 runs. He continued being a regular face in the Test team under Dhoni’s captaincy. However, the left-handed batsman didn’t get that support from Kohli. Lack of regular chances meant Dhawan faded away from the Test arena. The 35-year-old played his last Test against England way back in 2018. With the dasher being in the latter part of his career, his comeback in whites seems highly unlikely. 7. Gautam Gambhir Gautam Gambhir Test. (Photo by Santosh Harare/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) Hailed as the unsung hero of Indian cricket, Gautam Gambhir enjoyed a gala time in Team India colours. Besides been instrumental in India’s two World Cup triumphs, the former opener made a mark in red-ball cricket as well. He tormented many potent bowlers in the initial half of his Test career and played one magnificent knock after another. In fact, Gambhir even climbed to the top in the ICC Test batting rankings. He was also named ICC Test Cricketer of The Year in 2009. Needless to mention, many tout the Delhi-born cricketer to go a long way in the longest format. However, he didn’t have many chances after Dhoni bid adieu to red-ball cricket. Under Kohli, the star batsman played just three Test matches in 2016, and those proved to be his last in Team India colours. Gambhir bid adieu from all forms of cricket in 2018 and is now a renowned politician. 6. Varun Aaron MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 07: India bowler Varun Aaron (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) It won’t be much wrong to say that India had a shortage of tearaway fast bowlers a decade ago. Owing to the same, a young Varun Aaron created a lot of noise with his ability to clock at good speeds. The right-arm pacer eventually received his maiden Test cap against West Indies in 2011, and he didn’t take long in making a mark. On a spin-friendly Mumbai track, Aaron unleashed thunderbolts and took three crucial wickets. Although the speedster was accused of being wayward with his line and lengths, MS Dhoni kept him in the mix due to his game-changing abilities. Aaron even tasted a considerable amount of success under the wicket-keeper batsman. However, Kohli didn’t seem to have the same perspective for the fast bowler. The pacer didn’t get regular chances, and the emergence of Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Umesh Yadav meant Aaron went out of the radar. The pacer last played a Test for India in 2015. 5. Praveen Kumar India’s Praveen Kumar bowls. (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) There’s something about Uttar Pradesh and the production of quality swing bowlers. Before Bhuvneshwar, one other Kumar burst onto the scenes with his ability to move the ball at will. It was Praveen who’s regarded as the wasted talent. The right-arm pacer didn’t rely on bowling at a good pace. He instead deceived batters with his sharp swingers. Who can forget India’s 2011 tour of England? Although the visitors don’t have many pleasant memories from that tour, Praveen Kumar enjoyed a sensational run. English batters found him hard to tackle as Kumar took wickets at regular intervals. In total, he scalped 15 wickets in three games including a five-wicket haul. Unfortunately, Kumar didn’t play a Test match after that tour. While injuries and controversies also dented his career, Kohli’s trust might have prolonged Kumar’s career. The pacer’s last international appearance came in 2012. 4. Pragyan Ojha Pragyan Ojha. (Photo source: Twitter) The 2013 Test match between India and West Indies in Mumbai is mostly remembered for Sachin Tendulkar’s last international appearance. However, that also proved to be Pragyan Ojha’s final Test match. Interestingly, the left-arm spinner took a 10-wicket haul in that game and even won the Player-of-the-Match award. However, destiny had some other plans as Ojha went out of the picture. Despite delivering consistently in the domestic circuit, he couldn’t make a comeback in the Virat Kohli era. One can say that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja’s emergence as world-beaters also played a significant part in Ojha’s downfall. However, the left-arm spinner didn’t get chances in the home series. The talented cricketer eventually hung up his boots from all forms of cricket in February 2020. 3. Pankaj Singh Pankaj Singh. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) This right-arm pacer from Rajasthan had all abilities to thrive at the highest level. However, lack of chances didn’t allow him to make a mark. Pankaj Singh made his Test debut during India’s forgettable 2014 tour of England. Although he didn’t many wickets, his ability to move the ball impressed many fans and experts. Many believed the fast bowler will get better with experience. However, Dhoni retired from Test cricket later that year and Pankaj didn’t get any chances. He worked hard and delivered consistent performances in the domestic circuit. However, his efforts weren’t enough to earn him a comeback in the national team. The rise of tearaway fast bowlers didn’t work for him either. The once-promising fast bowler bid adieu from all forms of cricket earlier this year. 2. Abhimanyu Mithun Abhimanyu Mithun. (Photo Source: LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP via Getty Images) From one talented fast bowler, we go to another as Abhimanyu Mithun is next on this list. The right-arm pacer made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2010. He made a mark straightway by troubling the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. He took a four-wicket haul in that game as many experts lauded his caliber. However, Mithun’s Test career lasted just four games. He didn’t feature in the format after 2011 and his comeback is highly unlikely. Interestingly, Mithun was a part of Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for multiple Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. The duo even seemed to share a great bond. However, this didn’t prompt Kohli to get Mithun back in the national set-up. Meanwhile, Mithun is still 31 and a lot of cricket is left in him. Hence, it would be interesting to see if he can make a comeback or not. 1. Yuvraj Singh Yuvraj Singh. (Photo by Marty Melville/Getty Images) One of the biggest names in Indian cricket, Yuvraj Singh also features on this list. The Punjab-born all-rounder has been nothing but a match-winner for India, and his record speaks volumes of his prowess. The southpaw has tormented the best of bowlers and his happy knack of taking wickets made him an even greater asset. He was also a gun fielder as batters would refrain from hitting the ball towards Yuvraj. Riding on his prowess, India clinched several series and tournaments including two World Cup titles. However, the all-rounder’s Test record isn’t that sensational. Although he played some magnificent knocks in the format, consistency was a bit of concern for him. Nevertheless, the talented cricketer was always around the team when Dhoni had the charge. Things, however, changed after Kohli took over. The southpaw, who played his last Test in 2012, couldn’t make a comeback in the side even after consistent performances in the domestic circuit. Yuvraj eventually hung up his boots for all forms for cricket in June 2019.

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10 Players MS Dhoni backed but Virat Kohli didn't in Tests

Several renowned names are on this list.

4. Pragyan Ojha

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