Praveen Kumar was one of his most reliable bowlers during Dhoni's captaincy era.
The former Indian captain and wicketkeeper-batter, MS Dhoni, was undoubtedly one of the best captains in the history of Indian cricket and possibly one of the finest the game has ever seen.
Apart from leading India to numerous ICC trophies, Dhoni’s instinctive captaincy and extraordinary ability to analyze the game from behind the stumps set him apart from other legends of the game.
During Dhoni's captaincy era, one of his most reliable bowlers was Praveen Kumar, who mostly played under the former Indian captain from 2007 to 2012. The former bowler from Uttar Pradesh, known for his impressive swing with the new ball, proved to be a genuine wicket-taker.
Reflecting on Dhoni's captaincy, Kumar hailed the legendary wicketkeeper-batter’s talent for utilizing his players to their best potential. He said Dhoni was a big help for the bowlers.
Praveen Kumar said on the Lallantop YouTube channel: “Mahi Bhai Ka Koi Jawaab Nahi. He knew how to use a player and when to use them. He used to set the field and ask the bowler to bowl. And that’s what a good captain is, who gives the ball to the bowler and only asks to bowl, then it is up to the bowler to understand what he has to bowl.”
One of Kumar’s career highlights was his performance in the CB Series final in 2008, where he picked up 4/46 helping India beat Australia in the 2nd final and seal the series in Brisbane.
He signed off by saying, “Yes, as bowler you can of course tell the captain, for instance, where should the slips be placed, a bit wider or not because only the bowler knows after pitching how much the ball could swing, but apart from that he knew it (how to set fields).”