MS Dhoni is considered to be one of the greatest captains the cricketing world has seen, as under his leadership, India won all three major white-ball trophies- T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
India also attained the no.1 ranking in Tests under his leadership. Not just because he had won three ICC trophies for the team, but the fans also respect him for his persona and the wisdom with which he plays the game.
Even the former captains of Team India are ardent admirers of Dhoni when it comes to leadership and instilling confidence in teammates. One of them is Ravi Shastri who has watched Dhoni from closed quarters as a manager and then coach of the team.
In a recent conversation on Star Sports, a fan asked Shastri if he could play in IPL, then whose captaincy would he like to play under?
“Mazaa aayega Dhoni ki captaincy mein khelna (Playing under Dhoni’s captaincy would be fun). His record as a captain forces you to put him right up” said Ravi Shastri.
The former India head coach, who had also led the Indian team during his playing days, recalled how Dhoni was preferred as the next Indian captain back in 2007.
“Coolness is one thing but the way he reads and understands the game is terrific. I remember when I was a manager in 2007 and Dilip Vengsarkar was the selector. Rahul Dravid was injured in a practice session at the Eden Gardens, we were speaking and MS Dhoni’s name popped up. He asked me and I said, ‘This guy has the leadership quality’,” Shastri said.
“It didn’t take long and Dilip was on the same page. Dilip was an ideal selector at that time and he to had felt that this guy has got it in him. So what he [Vengsarkar] was seeing was not just coolness but the ability to read the game, street-smart ability, personality, character… all these things come into play when you are looking for a good captain,” he added.
MS Dhoni captained India in 60 Tests, 200 ODIs and 72 T20Is from 2007-2017.
