In the late 90s when I started watching cricket, India struggled to chase big totals. Those were the days when Sachin got out; the match was more or less over for the Indian fans. India lacked a finisher who can take the team across the line. It wasn’t until Dravid took the extra responsibility of keeping wickets so that an extra batsman can be accommodated, India started chasing well. 2002 was the year that marked the arrival of Yuvraj and Kaif. Yuvi at point and Kaif at cover were electrifying on the field. They won a lot of matches for India. Still not quite there; still Dravid had to keep wickets.
By the end of 2004 a wicket keeper batsman with long hair from Jharkhand made his debut. He was an unknown commodity. All people knew was that he can hit big sixes. He was promoted up the order at No. 3. The way he took on the opposition without any respect gave us joy. The way he scored in his 183 against Srilanka was monumental. Then the controversies occurred and Dravid became captain. It was he who made Dhoni bat at 6 with Yuvi at 5. This pair bonded really well and finished matches with ease. India won 16 successive matches while chasing down totals.
Dhoni was always a quick learner. He read the people’s mind really well like he read the match situations. Maybe 2007 world cup tragedy would have taught him that. I still remember what he told after winning the T20 world cup. “One thing is for sure. This format is going to be an instant hit in our country”. And it did.
Similarly, after winning the 2011 worldcup he said, “Whatever happened has happened. Now what we have to do is to build a new team and it’s a process that we have to concentrate on, irrespective of the results”. This was the process he was talking about in every single press conference during those loses. And he did build a new team for the 2015 world cup which did reasonably well for not to be blamed.
It’s strange why Dhoni has so many haters in his own country. Looking deeper into it gave me a clearer picture. It wasn’t the case before the start of IPL. May be every single fan wanted him to play for their favorite franchise. The fact that the people of Tamilnadu accepted him as their own and praised him as if everything is because of him must have created hatred among fans. Those so called haters of Dhoni are the T20 generation who wants only entertainment. But a fan who knows a bit about the game and love the game for the joy it gives, wouldn’t hate him. There are so many instances where his actions proved that he played the game in the right spirit.
Be it any format of the game. The legacy of Dhoni will be taking the responsibility for loses and giving credit to individuals during victories. You can see him in the corner of each group picture after winning a tournament. It’s heartening to see that Virat does similar things.
Like he mentioned in the new IPL team jersey launch, he was never politically correct. Not just OFF the field but ON the field as well. He is neither a textbook batsman nor an orthodox captain. Perhaps he just had his own way of scoring runs and winning matches. On field, the game and the country came first for him. He gave everything he can on the field. Off the field he took everything that the game gave for him. Be it the advertisements or the contracts, he has got everything from the game.
But that doesn’t mean that he has taken the game for granted. His passion for the game is immensely high. I have read that during his teenage he used to run in the ground with a football during rain. He said that it strengthened his lungs and thighs. His reflexes during stumping and returning back from halfway when an extra run is not available are unique. This is where his football skills make him untouchable on certain aspects of the game.
From a ticket collector to the captain of the world cup winning team in eight years time is no mere joke. What Dhoni has done is that he has opened the gateway for every small town kid. By instilling belief in them that anything can be achieved if the person has the will power to take the toll. He is a living example by himself.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni really is a superstar of the game. But above all his legacy is and should be that “It’s not where you come from, it’s what you do that defines you”. And certainly MSD has defined himself better than many other players. Not by his words, but by his actions. That’s why these kind of people are called legends. MS Dhoni is definitely an absolute legend of the game. Happy Birthday MS !
By the end of 2004 a wicket keeper batsman with long hair from Jharkhand made his debut. He was an unknown commodity. All people knew was that he can hit big sixes. He was promoted up the order at No. 3. The way he took on the opposition without any respect gave us joy. The way he scored in his 183 against Srilanka was monumental. Then the controversies occurred and Dravid became captain. It was he who made Dhoni bat at 6 with Yuvi at 5. This pair bonded really well and finished matches with ease. India won 16 successive matches while chasing down totals.
Dhoni was always a quick learner. He read the people’s mind really well like he read the match situations. Maybe 2007 world cup tragedy would have taught him that. I still remember what he told after winning the T20 world cup. “One thing is for sure. This format is going to be an instant hit in our country”. And it did.
Similarly, after winning the 2011 worldcup he said, “Whatever happened has happened. Now what we have to do is to build a new team and it’s a process that we have to concentrate on, irrespective of the results”. This was the process he was talking about in every single press conference during those loses. And he did build a new team for the 2015 world cup which did reasonably well for not to be blamed.
It’s strange why Dhoni has so many haters in his own country. Looking deeper into it gave me a clearer picture. It wasn’t the case before the start of IPL. May be every single fan wanted him to play for their favorite franchise. The fact that the people of Tamilnadu accepted him as their own and praised him as if everything is because of him must have created hatred among fans. Those so called haters of Dhoni are the T20 generation who wants only entertainment. But a fan who knows a bit about the game and love the game for the joy it gives, wouldn’t hate him. There are so many instances where his actions proved that he played the game in the right spirit.
Be it any format of the game. The legacy of Dhoni will be taking the responsibility for loses and giving credit to individuals during victories. You can see him in the corner of each group picture after winning a tournament. It’s heartening to see that Virat does similar things.
Like he mentioned in the new IPL team jersey launch, he was never politically correct. Not just OFF the field but ON the field as well. He is neither a textbook batsman nor an orthodox captain. Perhaps he just had his own way of scoring runs and winning matches. On field, the game and the country came first for him. He gave everything he can on the field. Off the field he took everything that the game gave for him. Be it the advertisements or the contracts, he has got everything from the game.
But that doesn’t mean that he has taken the game for granted. His passion for the game is immensely high. I have read that during his teenage he used to run in the ground with a football during rain. He said that it strengthened his lungs and thighs. His reflexes during stumping and returning back from halfway when an extra run is not available are unique. This is where his football skills make him untouchable on certain aspects of the game.
From a ticket collector to the captain of the world cup winning team in eight years time is no mere joke. What Dhoni has done is that he has opened the gateway for every small town kid. By instilling belief in them that anything can be achieved if the person has the will power to take the toll. He is a living example by himself.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni really is a superstar of the game. But above all his legacy is and should be that “It’s not where you come from, it’s what you do that defines you”. And certainly MSD has defined himself better than many other players. Not by his words, but by his actions. That’s why these kind of people are called legends. MS Dhoni is definitely an absolute legend of the game. Happy Birthday MS !
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