RCB vs CSK IPL 2024: Dhoni and Kohli, kings of loyalty, cross paths for the final time

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in an IPL encounter as they might clash for the final time

India’s 2014 tour of England unravelled at dizzying speed. After a famous victory in the second Test at Lord’s, crushing defeats in Southampton and Manchester had left the tourists needing a win at The Oval in South London to square the series. Two days before play began, MS Dhoni gave the optional practice session a miss. When word filtered out that he had chosen to go to the Metropolitan Police’s shooting range instead, to test his marksmanship, the travelling media contingent from India lost it. Comparisons had already being made to the disastrous 4-0 loss in 2011, and the accent was once again on whether Dhoni even valued Test cricket.

An experienced member of the English press pack saw it rather differently. “The perfect smokescreen,” he said to anyone that cared to listen. His point was clear. Virat Kohli, seen as the heir apparent to Sachin Tendulkar and on his first Test tour of England, had endured a shocking series, making just 108 runs across eight innings. Cheteshwar Pujara had been little better. The so-called Golden Generation had all eased into retirement, and those tasked with replacing them had come a cropper.

The scrutiny on them would have been intense. Instead, Dhoni redirected the spotlight at himself. Whatever criticism came his way was like water off the proverbial duck’s back. India were routed inside three days at The Oval, with Kohli making 6 and 20, but the focus of media ire was his captain.

Nearly a decade on, Dhoni and the man who replaced him as India captain across formats, will cross paths on a cricket field likely for the last time. The equation is now quite clear. Provided the angry rain clouds stay away, Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) need to win by at least 18 runs or chase down a target in around 18 overs to ensure that Chennai Super Kings’ defence of their crown ends at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Of course, neither Kohli nor Dhoni hold the reins for their teams. Kohli abdicated the RCB throne two seasons ago, while Dhoni made way for Ruturaj Gaikwad at the start of this season. Both, however, remain bywords for loyalty. Apart from the two years (2016 and ’17) when CSK were banned, Dhoni has spent his entire IPL career in the famous yellow shirt, lifting the trophy five times alone the way.

Kohli hasn’t made it to the playoffs in eight of the previous 16 seasons with RCB, and the team has lost three finals (2009, 2011 and 2016) in that time. But there has never been the hint of a suggestion that he would seek greener pastures. In a world of instant gratification, both men are shining examples of the team-first mindset that Dhoni used to shield his younger colleague a decade ago.

In exclusive arrangement with RevSportz