Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinner
Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinnerTwitter

Virat Kohli landed in India on Tuesday to play the three-match One-Day International series against South Africa, which begins on Sunday at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium. After arriving in Mumbai, the star cricketer headed straight to meet MS Dhoni and his other teammates.

On Thursday evening, MS Dhoni hosted a dinner in Ranchi, which was attended by several cricketers. Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad, among other Indian players, visited Dhoni at his residence. Several videos and photos from their off-field bonding at the dinner table have now gone viral.

One clip shows Virat, Rishabh and others entering Dhoni's house in Ranchi, with fans and paps waiting anxiously outside to catch a glimpse. However, the clip that truly caught everyone's attention was MS Dhoni driving Virat Kohli back to the team hotel. The video went viral within minutes.

Dhoni personally drove Kohli in his car after the get-together, Dhoni on the wheel and Kohli seated beside him, waving to ecstatic supporters thronging the streets. Many fans called it the "moment of the year," celebrating the enduring bond between two of India's most influential cricketers.

Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinner
Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinnerinstagram

Several inside photos from the dinner have also surfaced on social media.

A user wrote, "MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli sharing a quiet drive after dinner in Ranchi feels special. Moments like these show pure friendship, love and respect with no ego between them. Dhoni welcoming the team and personally dropping Virat back says everything. These two still touch hearts."

Another commented, "Best pictures on the internet. MS Dhoni hosted a dinner for the Indian team & invited Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma & the entire squad to his farmhouse. After dinner, Captain Cool is seen driving to drop Virat at his hotel."

Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinner
Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinnerinstagram

Many even mentioned that Gautam Gambhir was also invited for the dinner, but he skipped it.

Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinner
Million-dollar picture: MS Dhoni drives Virat Kohli back to team hotel after reunion at his Ranchi residence; Rishabh Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad join for dinnerinstagram

Virat Kohli, who is all set to bat at No. 3 for India in the upcoming three 50-over matches against South Africa, last played a competitive match for the Men in Blue on October 25 in Sydney against Australia. In that fixture, he scored an unbeaten half-century for the Shubman Gill-led side to help them avoid the embarrassment of a whitewash against the six-time ODI World Cup winners.

Rishabh Pant has stepped in as stand-in captain for the second Test in Guwahati after Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury. Along with him, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja and Tilak Varma also return. In Gill's absence, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to open the innings with world No. 1 ODI batter Rohit, and Tilak will likely replace Shreyas Iyer as the No. 4 in the playing XI.

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