No Indian cricketer – not even Sachin Tendulkar – has been managed to reach out to the Indian audience like Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Whether you like him or hate him (and yes, there are haters), the former India captain has always delivered when it mattered the most. Think of his marshalling his troops during the 2007 World T20, the Champions Trophy in 2013, his role in ensuring India won the 2011 World Cup final, and the way he led Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier league, and you know that Dhoni has left a mark.
Like all great players, Dhoni too is at the end of the day, human and he will have a bad phase, where he looks out of sorts. It was evident for a while, and several people, sports journalists included, questioned his leadership. Dhoni, I believe knew that India needed new direction and eventually gave up leading the Indian team. Although he retired from the longest form of the game to spend time with his family, his contribution in the limited overs format is still valuable. Think of the century he scored against England at Cuttack earlier this year.
But when the IPL began, he was stripped of the captaincy of Rising Pune Supergiant, which was handed over to Steve Smith. While he took it in his stride, Dhoni went through a slump in form during the initial phase of this T20 tournament, with people questioning how he would be an asset to the side. People told this writer, “Dhoni is over. He needs to retire.”
But great players survive. They thrive and they love the pressure. Sachin Tendulkar had critics questioning him during the phase between his 99th and 100th international century.
Dhoni, who has garnered more popular than Tendulkar during his international career, wasn’t going to be left behind. On Saturday, while he began slowly, he cut loose towards the end scoring 35 runs of the final 11 balls he faced. To put things in perspective, he had scored just a over a run a ball.
While haters will continue hating, one thing’s certain: Dhoni may be at the final stage of his career, but once he does call it a day, people will miss his presence on the field – both as a wicketkeeper and as a finisher of the game.
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