When Dhoni Won Hearts by Letting Virat Kohli Hit the Winning Runs

India has produced legendary cricketing duos who have dominated the world — Sunil Gavaskar-Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar-Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly-Virender Sehwag, and Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma, to name a few. But one partnership that truly won the hearts of Indian fans was Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, a duo built on mutual respect and admiration. One such unforgettable moment came during the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa. If you are looking to relive that special night, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

India vs South Africa: 2014 T20 World Cup Semi-Finals

On April 4, 2014, India faced South Africa in the T20 World Cup semi-final at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. With a spot in the final at stake, the pressure was immense. South Africa’s captain, Faf du Plessis, won the toss and chose to bat first, considering the pitch had been slower in the second innings throughout the tournament. Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla opened for South Africa, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball for India.

De Kock started aggressively, looking to capitalize on the powerplay. However, Bhuvneshwar struck early, dismissing him for just six runs in the very first over, reducing South Africa to 10/1. Faf du Plessis then joined Amla at the crease, looking to rebuild the innings. In the fourth over, du Plessis attacked Mohit Sharma, smashing three boundaries to relieve the early pressure. By the end of four overs, South Africa had reached 34/1, finding some rhythm. Sensing the momentum shifting, MS Dhoni made a tactical change, bringing Ravichandran Ashwin into the attack to slow things down. His introduction aimed to break South Africa’s flow and challenge their batters with spin.

In the sixth over, MS Dhoni turned to Ravichandran Ashwin, who bowled around the wicket. On the very first ball, he delivered a brilliant carrom ball that pitched on leg stump, turned sharply past Hashim Amla’s bat, and crashed into the stumps. Amla, who had looked solid, was dismissed for 22 off 16 balls, leaving South Africa at 44/2. With the team needing stability, JP Duminy walked in to join Faf du Plessis. The two batters focused on rotating the strike, carefully accumulating singles and doubles. By the end of 10 overs, South Africa had reached 66/2, but their run rate needed a boost on the slow Mirpur surface.

Recognising the need to accelerate, du Plessis shifted gears. In the 12th over, he attacked Suresh Raina, smashing him for 16 runs. The momentum continued in the 13th over when JP Duminy took on Amit Mishra, hammering him for 17 runs. With both batters settling in, South Africa raced to 107/2. Du Plessis soon brought up his half-century off just 36 balls, leading from the front on the big stage. Sensing the growing threat, Dhoni reintroduced Ashwin in the 14th over. The off-spinner struck immediately, dismissing du Plessis for a well-made 58 off 41 balls.

This breakthrough left South Africa at 116/3. Looking to finish strong, AB de Villiers walked in next, but Ashwin got him too, sending him back for just 10 runs off 8 balls. With the innings at a crucial juncture, Duminy and David Miller took charge. The duo pushed the scoring rate in the death overs, ensuring South Africa finished on a strong note. In the final three overs, they added 36 runs, taking the total to a competitive 172/4. Given the slow nature of the pitch, this was a challenging target, and India had a big task ahead to chase it down in this high-stakes semi-final.

To chase down a challenging target, India banked on their openers, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, to provide a solid start. Rohit took charge immediately, smashing four boundaries in the first two overs to set the tone. However, recognising Rohit’s dominance against pace, Faf du Plessis introduced Beuran Hendricks, who relied on his slower deliveries. In the fourth over, Rohit mistimed a shot, sending the ball straight into du Plessis’ hands. He departed for a quickfire 24 off 13 balls, leaving India at 41/1.

With the early breakthrough, it was time for the chase master, Virat Kohli, to take center stage. Kohli settled in quickly, while Rahane played the aggressor, ensuring India remained in control. However, in the 10th over, Wayne Parnell struck, dismissing Rahane for a well-compiled 32 off 30 balls. India was now 80/2, needing 92 runs from the remaining 10 overs. To continue the chase, Yuvraj Singh joined Kohli in the middle. Both batters played cautiously at first, aware of the increasing required run rate.

As the pressure mounted, they began accelerating, and by the end of the 15th over, India reached 122/2, bringing the equation down to 51 runs off 30 balls. With the pitch slowing down, batting became increasingly difficult, and India needed a set partnership to steer the chase. Sensing an opportunity, du Plessis handed the ball to leg-spinner Imran Tahir for the 16th over. Kohli, unfazed, launched him for a six, bringing up his half-century off 35 balls. However, Tahir struck back immediately, dismissing Yuvraj for 18 off 17 balls. India was now 133/3, still requiring 40 runs off the final four overs, setting up a tense finish.

With Yuvraj Singh’s dismissal, Suresh Raina walked in with the intent to finish the chase quickly. Under pressure to accelerate, he immediately took charge. In the 17th over, he smashed Wayne Parnell for 14 runs, including two boundaries and a six, bringing India closer to victory. With just 24 runs needed from the last three overs, the chase seemed well within India’s grasp. In the 18th over, Virat Kohli took on Dale Steyn, striking two boundaries to reduce the equation to just 10 runs off the final two overs.

Sensing the moment, Beuran Hendricks was handed the responsibility of the 19th over. Raina began aggressively, smashing a boundary on the first ball, but on the third delivery, he mistimed a shot and was caught out for a quickfire 21 off 10 balls. Despite the setback, India needed just six runs from nine balls, and the finish line was in sight. MS Dhoni then made his way to the crease, greeted by loud cheers from the crowd. On the fifth ball of the over, India required just two runs to win.

Kohli, in sublime touch, pulled the ball for a single, giving Dhoni the strike. Everyone anticipated a trademark Dhoni finish with a big shot. However, on the last delivery of the over, Hendricks bowled a slower bouncer, which Dhoni calmly defended. Surprisingly, he denied the single, much to the amusement of the crowd. Virat Kohli, standing at the non-striker’s end, chuckled, while Dhoni, with his signature calmness, smiled back.

With one run still needed, the final over began with Dale Steyn steaming in. On the very first ball, Kohli punched a boundary past midwicket, sealing the victory in style. As the ball raced to the fence, he roared in celebration before embracing Dhoni. Kohli’s magnificent 72-run knock off just 44 balls, featuring five boundaries and two sixes, had taken India to the final with a six-wicket win and five balls to spare. For his match-winning innings, Kohli was rightfully named Man of the Match. The crowd erupted in celebration as India secured their place in the final, fueled by yet another Kohli-Dhoni moment to cherish.