Sport is all about winning the big moments. That’s what separates the men from the boys, and the great from the ordinary. And that’s what the real legacy of MS Dhoni is all about.
Two world cups and a Champions Trophy stand testimony. Add four IPL titles to the list, and you have a record unmatched. The 2011 World Cup, his greatest achievement as a player, was a poor one for Dhoni the batsman. Up until the final at least. Till then, there was not much from the skipper that one could rave about. And when India were three down in the final with 114 on the board, chasing a very challenging Sri Lankan score of 274, it was expected that Yuvraj Singh, the player of the tournament, would walk down the Wankhede steps to take on a pumped-up Lasith Malinga and friends. Not so.
The man who walked out was Dhoni. Perhaps the biggest captaincy decision of his life. A call that could have cost India the World Cup. It is a cliché to suggest that it’s winner-takes-all in sport. Dhoni, with the pressure of a billion, played a blinder and in doing so, sent out a clear message to one and all – he was different, and also one of India’s best limited-overs players of all time. As captain, the debate has been put to rest for all time to come. Having won the World T20 in 2007, the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013, Dhoni was and is India’s best-ever skipper in the shorter formats of the game.
He has always been the man for the big stage. His record in major tournaments stands as testament to that. While he did lose bilateral series to England and Australia, come the World Cup or the Champions Trophy, he would raise the bar. The same applies to the IPL. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the second-most successful team in IPL history, and a large portion of the credit has to be given to Dhoni.
Take the ongoing IPL. Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Singh and, now, a fit-again Deepak Chahar. On paper, at least, not a bowling attack to write home about. And yet they have delivered. Just like Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube have. Dhoni finds ways to get the best out of his players. He makes them feel special so that they do things they have not done before. And all this has resulted in CSK finishing second in the league stage, giving them two chances to make the final.
The one moment which forever sums up Dhoni the captain for me was that last ball run-out against Bangladesh in the home World T20 in March 2016. Bangladesh had all but won the match, and defeat would put India out of the tournament. Had it happened, Dhoni may well have had to step down soon after. Captain Cool did show emotion. Any human would. But he did not lose nerve. Running out the last Bangladeshi batsman while showing incredible presence of mind, he made sure India was alive in the tournament. Under pressure, he showed the clarity of his decision-making, something that has forever defined his captaincy.
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Knowing well that he isn’t the same batter as five years ago, and that his fitness too is an issue, Dhoni has batted the last 10 balls of the innings. And more often than not, he has nailed the last over. That’s him. A mind that is different, and one that knows what he wants and what he needs to do. He doesn’t need to be out there for him to soak in the limelight. Just by virtue of being at the ground, he is the star. And everyone else revolves around him.
Dhoni knows he has been on trial in every game that he has captained this season. A poor 2022 only added to the weight of expectation. Such a thing could easily have taken a toll on any other player. Not Dhoni. The urge to excel and the determination to make a difference meant he still pushed himself. And each time, the sea of yellow helped him. Everywhere Dhoni has travelled, his loyal band of whistle-podu fans have been with him. It is this adrenaline that has helped him get through pain. Push himself for yet one more season.
The only question that needs dwelling on at the moment is whether Dhoni can get CSK over the line one final time. What will that do to his stature as captain and leader? Can we safely say then that he was and is the best to ever lead an IPL franchise?
As far as ODI and T20 cricket is concerned, it can safely be stated that Dhoni is perched at the very top with little competition to upstage him. He is the only man to win the World T20, the World Cup and the Champions Trophy. As far as Test cricket is concerned, his overseas record goes against him, meaning that Sourav Ganguly or Virat Kohli take pole position. And when it comes to the IPL, Rohit Sharma has surpassed him when it comes to the number of titles won.
But there is more to Dhoni than just the trophies. He is an overwhelming pan-Indian emotion, and that has helped Brand CSK. An entity that has the success of Mumbai and the brand appeal of RCB rolled into one. And that’s what makes him unique. The Thala cult, unmatched and unrivalled.
On Tuesday evening, it will be a sea of yellow for Dhoni at Chepauk. It could well be the last time he features in an IPL play-off on his favourite ground. That should be enough to get him pumped up. Push that tired body of his for 40 more overs. Not many would have done so at his age. But as always, Dhoni is different. His eternal USP. This IPL is the final proof.
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