Mohali: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not of the opinion that cricket and the Commonwealth Games must be competing against each other to prove which is more popular.
"I don't think cricket will steal the thunder from the Commonwealth Games," felt Dhoni when asked about the impact of the India-Australia clash and the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi.
Though Dhoni has commented sportingly about the clash, thousands of cricket fans from New Delhi are scheduled to arrive here for the first Test.
With many offices in New Delhi having given the day off for the opening ceremony of the CWG, many cricket fans have clubbed that off with the weekend and come to Mohali for the first Test. "It is better to be in Mohali than in New Delhi where heavy traffic diversions have been scheduled for the next few days," remarked a fan who drove all the way from New Delhi.
When asked whether television viewers would prefer to watch cricket or the Commonwealth Games, Dhoni remarked with a smile: "I know one thing.... I will definitely keep an eye on the medals table. It's not just me, all cricketers will want the Indian contingent to win as many medals as possible."
The Indian skipper also said: "The Commonwealth Games is a big event happening in India and I don't think cricket will steal its thunder. I am only hoping that India wins more medals this time than they did in the last edition."
As to whether this series would be a battle to prove who is the best captain in the world today, Dhoni replied, "I've always believed that a cricket series is not captain versus captain. It's team versus team. It's not me who has been successful against Ricky."
