While he had been doing really well for Bihar at the domestic level, what really got Mahendra Singh Dhoni into the limelight were his early exploits for India A during a tri-series in Kenya, also featuring Pakistan A, in 2004.
Dhoni smashed his way to scores of 70, 119*, 120 and made his best push for national recognition in the eyes of the selectors who had kept him waiting in preference of other options at the time.
Former India pacer Javagal Srinath remembers the tour vividly for this reason and the potential he saw in the young man.
“I was in Nairobi as a commentator. It was the first time I saw Dhoni in action. He had immense potential, which he later realised in full. He was a cut above the rest in that tournament. He scored runs at will; winning matches single-handedly,” Srinath told Sportstar.
As it turned out, the attacking right-hand batsman finally got the nod a few months later on the tour of Bangladesh in December and kickstarted what later proved to be an illustrious career where he donned the wicketkeeping gloves, batted and captained India with humoungous success.
“Dhoni is one of the most successful captains India has ever produced. The one quality that stands out about Dhoni is his self-belief. Winning three trophies (2007 ICC World Twenty20, 2011 ICC ODI WC, and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy) is a great achievement," Srinath said.
"That’s the first thing to consider when you talk of his legacy. The unstoppable train of confidence that you see in the Indian team now - that was started by Dhoni. I want to thank Dhoni for his contribution to Indian cricket,” he added, as Dhoni bid farewell to international cricket on the Independence Day.
Srinath, one of India's finest-ever pacers, who played his 67 Tests and 229 ODIs under various captains, also explained what made Dhoni's leadership so special.
"He had a plan for each bowler, and the bowler knew what was expected of him. This makes life so much easier for bowlers. Dhoni was the best reader of the game. He could sense what the batsman was going to do. Accordingly, he would decide the field setting and whom to bowl."
"He was a comprehensive captain. With the bat, he controlled the game like a regulator. He was a brilliant finisher. In his era, Dhoni was the man you could count on to finish a game," he added.
