'I just gave MS Dhoni a hug and wrapped the flag around him' - Virat Kohli on India's historic 2011 World Cup victory

The 2011 World Cup victory is etched in every Indian’s heart, and those who were a part of the Indian team cannot describe how special that moment was. After a gap of 28 years, India lifted the World Cup trophy, and the dreams of billions of people were fulfilled that day. It still remains as a moment to cherish for a lifetime.

The game has evolved a lot ever since, but there is one more thing that has evolved and flourished since that day. That is Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni’s relationship. Be it on the field or off it, the two share a very special bond, which clearly was visible when the duo played together. Be it Kohli playing under Dhoni’s captaincy, or the other way around, the two had a very unique camaraderie.

Speaking of his memories from the World Cup and his relationship with MS Dhoni on The ICC Review Podcast, Virat Kohli said:

“I was looking at all the guys around me I was the youngest on that team. So it was quite surreal that part of my first world cup and we end up winning that World Cup. And I saw the emotions of all the guys who have been there so long. You know, Sachin Tendulkar getting emotional, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, all these guys, and then MS has probably seen these guys play before and now he's leading them to a World Cup victory.”

Kohli revealed how he felt when he saw most of his teammates get emotional after the win, and also revealed that he could not feel their emotions as he was at the beginning of his career. For players like Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, among others, the victory was very special because they had waited for almost an entire career to be a part of that moment.

“It was just, I could see the emotion with everyone, I didn't quite feel it to be very honest. I couldn't understand what they were feeling because I was not in that position. But the whole moment was so powerful and overwhelming that I got pulled in with all that emotion and all that energy. That picture is quite special because I had the India flag with me and then MS was walking around and I just gave him a hug and wrapped the flag around him,” Kohli added.   

Looking back at how our relationship evolved, that moment is actually quite special: Kohli

Kohli and Dhoni’s picture from that World Cup, now if one looks at it, probably defines the relationship between them, and their journey. The two have come a long way, and Kohli has always mentioned how Dhoni played a major role in his cricketing journey. Speaking about that particular picture, he further stated:

“We were not that close, we weren't that open with each other till then because I was a very young guy in the team and I did not open up quite a bit with him. But now looking back at how our relationship evolved, the partnership and the camaraderie, that moment is actually quite special, that it was captured like that, in a World Cup win and him obviously leading us to victory and being the man of the match in that game is absolutely terrific.”