India Vs Aus: 'Kohli Was On The Verge Of Being Dropped But MS Dhoni Backed Him', Reveals Sanjay Manjrekar

Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, while speaking on the Sony Sports Network, informed that Virat Kohli was on the verge of getting dropped during the Australia tour of 2011 but was backed by the then captain MS Dhoni.

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Indian Captain Virat Kohli is currently one of the best batsman in the world in all forms of cricket. Considered as the run-machine the cricketer lead India to grab various championships and victories be it under MS Dhoni as the captain or the man leading the team himself. The world has known the strong bond MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli holds. Kohli made his Test debut in 2011, three years after first playing ODI cricket for India, but the initial few games proved disappointing as he managed 76 runs from three Tests against the West Indies. Kohli was not picked for India’s tour of England but returned for the home series against West Indies where he hit two half-centuries in the only game he played. As India toured Australia, Kohli was included in the team, but his numbers in the first two games were underwhelming. In the four innings across Melbourne and Sydney, Kohli registered scores of 11, 0, 23, and 9. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar, while speaking on the Sony Sports Network informed how Kohli, after the first two games was on the verge of getting dropped, but the then 23-year-old was backed by none other than captain MS Dhoni himself and he played on. Kohli followed it with scores of 44 and 75 in Perth and followed it with a maiden Test century in the final Test in Adelaide. Although India were blanked 0-4, Kohli’s century was a big positive for the Indian team. In fact, it was the only century scored by an Indian batsman in the series. “Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli. He always finds ways to score runs,” Manjrekar said. “The hundred that he scored in the 2011/12 series, India lost it 0-4. They’d lost to England 0-4. And I think that was the only century scored by an Indian in that series. He was a young man who actually was on the verge of getting dropped after Sydney. Dhoni backed him; he played in Perth scored a 70 and then he got that hundred.”