Dhoni publicly dismissed reports of a dressing room rift during India's tour of Australia in 2014-15.
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan shares a very healthy camaraderie with Virat Kohli. They know each other since their junior playing days for Delhi.
However, a heated exchange between the duo had allegedly fractured team harmony during India's 2014-15 Test series in Australia. Dhawan's last-minute injury withdrawal on Day 4 of the Brisbane Test reportedly left Kohli with little notice to bat, and as India slipped to a 2-0 deficit, speculations of a rift started doing rounds in the media.
Amid the chaos, then skipper MS Dhoni publicly dismissed reports of a dressing room rift, defending both players in a press conference after the Gabba defeat.
"Before he bowed out of the Test stage, Dhoni Bhai did a good job of putting to rest rumours about a disagreement between Virat and me during the second Test at Brisbane. I had injured my hand and had to retire hurt. Virat stepped in and carried on the innings. But canards were spread about a supposed spat over this alleged last-minute call I had taken," Dhawan recounted in his book Shikhar Dhawan—The One, co-authored by Chandresh Narayanan and Namita Kala (published by Harper Sport, 2025).
When rumours of a rift between Kohli and Dhawan emerged on social media, Dhoni stepped in to protect his teammates.
"When the question was put to Dhoni Bhai during a press conference, he sardonically commented: 'Whoever has passed on this information deserves to write for a Marvel or Warner Bros superhero movie!' Just that one line, but it was enough to put the rumours to rest," Dhawan wrote.
Reflecting on that phase, Dhawan added, "It is the job of a journalist to write a story, so I did not dwell over it. Sometimes commentators also make irksome remarks about a player or his ability, but, throughout my cricketing career, I have made it a point to not take such things to heart."
During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2014-15, Dhoni called time on his red-ball career after the Boxing Day Test at MCG.
Dhawan reflected on how perfectly Dhoni timed his decision, knowing exactly when to pass the leadership baton to Kohli.
"We had no inkling Dhoni Bhai would take such a big decision so soon. The only indication had been Duncan's (Fletcher) face when the Test ended; he had looked a bit shell-shocked. Everyone in the squad was surprised at his announcement, but I think in his heart, he knew it was time to pass on the Test baton to Virat," Dhawan wrote.
"The moment the news sunk in, I gave a strong jhappi (hug) to Dhoni. I commended him on his great career. At that stage in my life, I was a happy-go-lucky guy - not that that part of my personality has changed over the years. The truth is, I liked to live in the moment to the absolute fullest. There were some players who got a bit emotional when they heard the news. We all knew things were going to be tough without him in the squad."
Shikhar Dhawan, who made his India debut under Dhoni’s captaincy in 2010, announced his retirement from international cricket in August last year. He represented the country in 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is from 2010 to 2022, scoring 10,867 runs with 24 centuries.
(With India Today Inputs)