Dubai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who relinquished his captaincy for India’s limited-overs teams, has always loved to entertain cricket lovers.
Be it his captaincy or batting style, the most important factor for him was to enjoy his role and through it enthral everyone. And in the process he led India to win two World Cups and position themselves as the best in Test cricket.
The legacy he leaves behind will be treasured by generations to come.
To do the impossible was his style, especially since he hailed from a little known state like Jharkhand that had hardly produced any cricketers before.
Dhoni went on to become India’s wicketkeeper and the most successful captain ever in Indian cricket history.
Along with that was his image of a cool man, and hence he was called Captain Cool.
However, something that irked him most was the criticism about his approach to the game, and most importantly his longevity as a player.
For a man who stunned everyone with his stamina to keep wickets, handle the pressure of captaincy well, and play whirlwind knocks whenever needed, he also enjoyed shocking everyone with his personal decisions regarding his career.
That is how he gave up the Test captaincy in 2014, and he has now surprisingly stepped down as captain of India’s limited over teams.
For 35-year-old Dhoni, there is nothing more left to prove either as a player or as captain.
Though he has achieved much more than what any other Indian captain has ever managed, today there is a big group wanting Virat Kohli to lead in all forms of the game.
Kohli, by guiding India back to the top position in Test ranking, has proved that he is successful and has the traits to guide India to greater heights in all formats.
Through his latest decision, Dhoni walks away from captaincy with his head held high and not as a captain who had to give way for Kohli. India are now ranked No. 4 in One Day Internationals and No. 2 in the Twenty20 format.
Today, people will address Dhoni’s decision as the end of an era, a golden one that Dhoni carved out with his brilliance.
Not only will he be remembered for his captaincy in all formats of the game but also as the Indian Premier League’s most successful captain.
There are many lessons he leaves behind for future captains; the top being his ability to remain calm and focused on the game. He has proved that being too expressive and over aggressive on the field, especially in limited over cricket, can only add to the pressure.
His ability to gamble, especially to transform an ordinary bowler into a match winner, is a daring trait.
While some label him as lucky, his courage to even attempt such moves is another trait to be imbibed.
Dhoni’s decision also clears his way to play in the 2019 World Cup.
As the fittest in the team, after Kohli, he has strengthened his chances to be selected merely as a player.
It is clear he now wants to contribute more as a player because very often he chose to bat down the order to resurrect or be the saviour of the team.
So he can now focus more on his wide repertoire of strokes and nonchalantly play his pet helicopter shots.
Being one of the world’s most aggressive batsmen, Dhoni can continue to enthral as a player. With a young and bold captain in Kohli, what India needs today is a match winner like Dhoni. As for Dhoni, who enjoys winning a match with a six, he can now freely go for it and entertain his fans without the pressure of captaincy.
I think he will go down as one of India’s most successful captains. He is a great man and still has a lot to offer Indian cricket.
Michael Clarke, former Australia captain
Even one of the greatest captains of all time decides enough is enough. Well done MS Dhoni on an incredible leadership term.
Michael Vaughan, former England captain
Congratulations to MSD on a wonderful career as a captain leading India to success in both T20 and ODI World Cups. Have seen him emerge from an aggressive player to a steady and decisive captain. It’s a day to celebrate his successful captaincy and respect his decision. Wish MSD the very best as he continues entertaining us on the field with his exploits.
Sachin Tendulkar, Indian legend
A true leader, he influenced so many cricketing careers including mine when he asked me to open in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Rohit Sharma, Indian batsman
Sign of a true leader is to know when to pass the baton! Thank you for the entertainment skipper, you are an inspiration.
Kris Srikkanth, former India captain
