Sunil Gavaskar has said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s popularity in India has exceeded the level of fandom even the great Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli enjoy.
Speaking about Dhoni before the IPL opener, Gavaskar said, “Since MSD comes from Ranchi, which doesn’t have a cricket culture as such, the whole India loves him. Tendulkar has Mumbai and Kolkata, Kohli has Delhi and Bengaluru but when you talk of Dhoni it’s whole India.”
Deepak Chahar, who was also the part of the XI in the game, has now revealed that CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni prefers players who can contribute in each department of the game.
"I think Dhoni prefers those who are good in all departments. He likes those who can contribute in batting, bowling and fielding. A bowler can have a bad day but he can change a match by grabbing a good catch or can win the batch with a six or a four," Chahar told former India opener Aakash Chopra in his show 'Aakash Vaani'.
"If you look at our team, we have many players who are good in every department. T20 is a format that requires you to do everything. There are a lot of teams in the IPL which have a strong batting line-up or a strong bowling attack but they remain dependent on a few cricketers. If they do well, they end up winning you matches single-handedly but if they don't, the team struggles," Chahar said.
MS Dhoni, the CSK captain, who already holds the record for most sixes by an Indian in the IPL, needs four hits over the ropes to go past AB de Villiers in the IPL six-hitters’ list. Dhoni has smashed 209 sixes in IPL so far, while South African legend de Villiers has 212 sixes to his name.
If Dhoni manages to hit four sixes against MI in the tournament opener on Saturday, he will climb to the second spot in IPL list of batsmen with most sixes, which is currently led by KXIP’s Chris Gayle, who has 326 sixes to his credit.
Dhoni, who holds the record for captaining in most international matches has also captained the most in IPLs. Dhoni, who has led Chennai Super Kings in 10 seasons and Rising Pune Supergiant in one, has captained in 174 IPL matches. He had played as a keeper-batsman in IPL 2017 when RPS was led by Australia’s Steve Smith.
Dhoni who has won three IPLs as CSK captain also holds the record for most wins in the tournament as captain. Dhoni has 104 wins, only captain to have 100 wins in IPL. Dhoni’s win percentage of 60.11 is the best by a captain with min. 50 matches in the IPL.
With 132 dismissals a wicketkeeper Dhoni has the most dismissals by a wicket-keeper in IPL. Dhoni has inflicted 38 stumpings which is also the most by a keeper in the history of the tournament.
Hailed as one of the greatest ever finishers in the history of limited-overs cricket – Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ability to snatch victory from jaws of defeat is second to none. Dhoni has been instrumental to India’s success at the international stage and performed equally well for his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. The legendary wicketkeeper-batsman has single-handedly scripted several memorable triumphs.
South African batsman David Miller, who has been roped up by Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), wants to imbibe the former India skipper’s calmness in high-pressure run chases.
“I absolutely love the way Dhoni goes about his business. Certainly his calmness – you just think he’s always under control. The way he portrays himself, that’s something he’s extremely good at and I do enjoy that about him. I try and give off the same energy,” Miller was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"Definitely, Dhoni is one of the best finishers ever; he’s proven it many times. I love watching him play.” Miller said.
MS Dhoni, India’s most successful captain was known to be a man of few words with a cultivated image of being ‘ice-cool’ at all times. But on the field, the man called ‘Mahi Bhai‘ by his teammates was at his witty best. Sometimes it was a humourous observation, while on other occasions his wisdom brought out the best among his fellow players.
Here’s a look back at some of the wittiest, cheekiest conversations that were recorded of MSD on the stump microphones –
Guiding light for Kul-Cha
Dhoni’s role in guiding youngsters is often talked about and it was evident when the Indian team’s two young wrist spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, burst on to the scene.
The duo often looked to their keeper as a problem solver. Take, for example, the first ODI between India and Australia in September 2017 where the stump mic picked up Dhoni helping Yadav dismiss David Warner.
“Thoda peeche dalo (pull your length back a bit),” he kept telling Yadav, so that the chinaman could induce an edge by making the batsman play the cut shot. Astonishingly, that was exactly how Warner perished. After the match, Yadav revealed how Dhoni helped him plan the dismissal.
In the same encounter, Chahal was being milked for runs at the start of his spell. Realising that the Aussies could target the leggie, Dhoni asked him to keep it tight – Dande pe daal. (Bowl on the stumps).
When Chahal erred in his length, Dhoni promptly quipped “Tu bhi nahin sunta hai kya (You also won’t listen)?” As soon as Chahal altered his length, the voice from behind the stumps acknowledged it and said “Aise, aise dalo (bowl it like this).”
Chahal eventually had the better off Glen Maxwell.
Another example of Dhoni being an excellent reader of the game came in a video where he is heard anticipating the batsman’s next move and tells the bowler to make minute adjustments. To get rid off Lockie Ferguson, Dhoni asks Yadav to bowl from behind the crease making the batsman reach for the delivery. The batsman is beaten and Dhoni stumps the batsman as he inches out of the crease.
In the same innings, he gave Yadav a step-by-step guide on how to dismiss Trent Boult.
Dhoni is heard saying: “Ye rokega, dusri side se daal sakta hai. Yaha se andar nai ayegi.” (He will defend, try bowling from around the wicket.)
Kuldeep switches over to around the wicket and gets his man.
But with Dhoni behind the stumps there was also no shortage of wisecracks, streetsmart advice and at times, even a dig at Indian bowlers.
“Oy Sree! Udhar girlfriend nahin hai”
New Zealand were on top with the scorecard reading 391/5 during the first Test against India in Ahmedabad. Pragyan Ojha was the bowler and Kane Williamson was the batsman.
Dhoni, the master tactician was setting the field and asked Sreesanth to move a bit squarer. However, Sreesanth missed his captain’s direction to which Dhoni says, “Oye Sree girlfriend nahi hai udhar, idhar aaja thoda“(Sreesanth your girlfriend is not there, please come a little squarer).
R Ashwin and Dhoni had a code word between them and it was used to keep the batsman guessing. Whenever Dhoni wanted the off-spinner to surprise the batsman with the wrong-un (ulta), he would call for the “Tarak Mehta” inspired by the popular Hindi serial “Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chasmah’.
“Pujara ko udhar taali bajane nahi rakha hai”
During a Test match between India and New Zealand in 2014, Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling were batting. Jadeja, who had the ball in hand, was going for runs and this irked Dhoni.
“Jaddu thoda off mein daal. Pujara ko udhar taali bajane nahi rakha hai“(Jadeja bowl on the off stump. Pujara is not standing there to clap),” Dhoni is heard
Jadeja immediately changed his line and started bowling on the off-stump. On another occasion, Dhoni imitates a commentator’s description of Jadeja’s bowling, saying, “Bharpoor bowling ka pradarshan karte hue Ravindra Jadeja!”
Dhoni always backed his players no matter how tough the situation got. This time it was when India was facing Australia in 2012.
On day two of the second Test, seamer Ishant Sharma kept struggling with his line and length. It was either too short or too wide. Dhoni sensing trouble went up to Ishant and said, “Agar chauka gaya toh mera risk hai, tu bindaas daal. Tujhe agar ek fielder aur chahiye toh main bula lunga. Mujhe koi problem nahi hai.”(It’s on me if the ball gets hit for a boundary, you just bowl. I’ll place another fielder too if you want).
Not only did Sharma get better in the spell but also went on to pick up three wickets in the innings.
“Cheeku bowler mat bann”
In a match against England during the 2016 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli was asked to roll his arm over as India went in with four bowlers. In his first over, Kohli managed to get Kevin Pietersen with a wide yorker.
An excited Kohli, after getting the wicket, started trying different variations. However, one was wide down the leg side and yielded byes as well.
Dhoni immediately walked up to Kohli and said: “Jitna bola hai utna kar, bowler mat bann” (Do what you are being told, don’t try to be a bowler).
There was never a dull moment with Dhoni behind the stumps and fans will be poorer for such banter in international cricket.
Former India fast bowling legend Javagal Srinath recalled first time he met with MS Dhoni. It was right after the time that Srinath had announced his retirement from the sport back in 2003. Dhoni was part of the India A team that was scheduled to play a tri-series against Pakistan and Kenya. In a recent interaction, Srinath recalled how Dhoni led the team to win in every game, and smashed bowlers all around the park.
“My first meeting with Dhoni was in 2003 post my career in Kenya. There was a triangular series between Kenya, India and Pakistan; in all the three league games all the way to the finals Dhoni won it single handedly,” Srinath told Ravichandran Ashwin on his chat show DRS with Ash.
”At the end of it, the way he disdainfully played the spinners and fast bowlers as if he was playing school cricket,” the former fast bowler further added.
Speaking on Dhoni’s understanding of the game, Srinath described him as a ‘yogi’.
“MS Dhoni is a yogi in cricket. The way he has understood the game, his detachment to results. The way he speaks and conducts himself and on every victory, he holds the cup, the most prized cups, he hands it to someone else and walks away,” Srinath said.
"When he looks into all these things, when things are not going well on the pitch and the team is struggling, his composure and body language as if nothing has happened, he can only be a yogi to be such a wonderful cricketer,” he further added.
MS Dhoni has won several hearts, both on and off the cricket field with his performances in a stellar international career and his down-to-earth attitude.
An example of his humble nature was seen recently when Dhoni, en route to the UAE for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with his Chennai Super Kings teammates, swapped his business class seat with an economy class passenger. Dhoni had apparently done so as the passenger's legs were 'too long' to fit in an economy class seat.
A Twitter user by the name of George uploaded a video of the flight claiming the same. The man claiming so looked like a CSK staffer himself. In the video, the former India captain is also seen having a chat with Suresh Raina and some of his other CSK teammates.
