MS Dhoni named captain of Virat Kohli and AB de VIlliers’ combined India-South Africa ODI XI

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has kept himself a busy man off the field during the ongoing unprecedented break that has brought the world to a standstill, by partaking in interactive talk sessions on social media with his fellow cricketers. After finishing off an Instagram Live session with former RCB teammate Kevin Pietersen last week, Kohli, on Friday, decided to entertain his fans by engaging himself in a session with the South Africa’s AB de Villiers, who also happens to be Kohli’s long-time RCB teammate. The duo, in their chat session, discussed a wide range of topics - including the IPL and international cricket - before deciding to combinedly pick their all-time India-South Africa ODI XI. 

The star-studded side included Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the order, followed by Kohli and de Villiers themselves at #3 and #4, with the great Jacques Kallis completing the middle-order, batting at No.5. The duo then picked MS Dhoni as their captain and wicket-keeper, before opting for Yuvraj Singh as the side’s spinning all-rounder. And whilst the tail of the team seemed long, both Kohli and de Villiers had absolutely no hesitation in going with the bowlers who they thought were the best performers in their eyes - Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal. 

Having picked the side, both Kohli and de Villiers were then stuck on naming the captain, but then unanimously went ahead with MS Dhoni as the skipper of the side. The RCB duo had words of warmth for the former Indian skipper, and de Villiers even went on to express his admiration for Dhoni.

"For me, MS (Dhoni), MS is probably the most balanced choice," said Kohli, on naming Dhoni the captain of the side.

"I am happy with that choice. I have never played under MS. But I have a world of respect for him. The way he carries himself on and off the field. I mean, he is always calm and he knows the game well. So I am happy with that," de Villiers said.

Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers’ combined India-South Africa ODI XI: Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ab de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, MS Dhoni (captain) (wk), Yuvraj Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dale Steyn, Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada.