Shikhar Dhawan opens up about heated moments with Virat Kohli

Cricket often builds friendships that last a lifetime, and the bond between Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli has long been admired for its energy and camaraderie both on and off the field. However, Dhawan recently revealed that even their close friendship faced tense moments.

In a recent podcast, Dhawan recounted how a light-hearted football session before a match once escalated into a heated clash. Known for his cheerful nature, Dhawan admitted that he and Kohli lost their temper during the warm-up game.

“Virat and I fought once. We shoulder-tackled each other while playing football in warm-ups. For a second, we got angry. Gradually, we stopped playing football in warm-ups because people would fight. It happens; there are many athletes, aggressive, each one strong in his own right,” Dhawan said.

Dhawan also spoke about another clash under more serious circumstances during an international match in South Africa, when Kohli’s on-field actions led to Dhawan being run out. The southpaw said he was frustrated at the time, especially as he was going through a difficult phase in his career.

“I was in South Africa, Virat ran me out. I got very angry… My IPL auction hadn’t gone well either. I wasn’t able to accept that, and then this run-out happened. I vented in the dressing room—not at him, but like batsmen usually do. But we have our understanding because we know it isn’t intentional. This happens in cricket,” he explained.

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Despite these confrontations, Dhawan emphasized that such incidents were part of the game and never personal. Having known each other since their early cricketing days, mutual respect and understanding helped them move past disagreements quickly.

Dhawan retired from international cricket in August 2024, but his last outing alongside Kohli came on February 12, 2022, during the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League 2nd ODI against Sri Lanka at Dharamsala.