Dhoni is known for his calm demeanour on the field, regardless of the situation.
Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni is known for his calm demeanour on the field, regardless of the situation. It is something that has earned him the nickname 'Captain Cool'.
During his captaincy tenure, Dhoni managed a squad filled with legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag among others. Emerging stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja also unleashed their potential under his leadership.
With Dhoni at the helm, the Indian team also tasted unpresented success, winning all three ICC white-ball trophies in addition to the Test mace.
There were occasions, however, when Dhoni lost his calm and veteran India spinner Ashwin opened up on one such incident.
Ashwin revealed why Dhoni got angry and decided to send Sreesanth back to India mid-way through the tour of South Africa in 2010.
Sreesanth triggered Dhoni by repeatedly ignoring his instructions to sit in the dugout with other reserves.
“I tell him Sree is upstairs in the dressing room. He tells me to tell Sree he has to come down and sit with the other reserves,” Ashwin wrote in an 184-page book titled 'I Have The Streets- A Kutty Cricket Story'.
Despite Ashwin conveying Dhoni's message to Sreesanth, the latter decided to stay in the dressing room upstairs.
“I return to my drink duties. The next time I have to go with a helmet. This time I can sense MS is angry, and I have never seen him lose his cool. ‘Where is Sree? What is he doing?’ MS asks sternly.”
“I tell him he is getting a massage. MS doesn’t say anything. In the next over, he calls me to return the helmet. He is calm now. While giving me the helmet, he says, ‘Do one thing. Go to Ranjib sir. Tell him Sree is not interested in being here. Ask him to book his ticket for tomorrow so he can go back to India.”
Ashwin was taken aback by Dhoni's remark, and recalled how Sreesanth sprinted down as soon as he heard the message.
"I am stunned. I’m not sure what to say. I am just staring at his face. MS goes, ‘What happened? You don’t understand English either now?’
"Sree quickly gets up and gets dressed. Not only that, but now he assumes the drinks duties. The next time MS needs a drink, Sree makes sure he charges out", wrote Ashwin.
Sreesanth was an integral part of the Indian team back in those days. He was also a member of the 2011 World Cup-winning squad.