Widely regarded as one of India’s finest cricketers, MS Dhoni left a massive impact on the game with his leadership and performances in pressure situations.
Dhoni is the only skipper in the history of cricket to have won all three ICC white-ball trophies – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. He also led India to the top of the rankings in the longest format of the game.
With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 around the corner, MS Dhoni’s unparalleled feats as Indian captain in global events have become a topic of discussion once again.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, former pacer Sreesanth, who was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs, opened up on MS Dhoni's role and the way he used to operate.
"I also had my differences with Dhoni bhai. But now when I look at cricketing side of things, no one can say that Dhoni didn't back them. There are some situations which made the captain think the other way, and that's how life is," Sreesanth said.
"It will be a bit controversial when I say this. Yes you can say 'Why to talk only about 2-3 players? We also played our part in the win.' But it's just about the way Dhoni thought about the team first all the time. He even started the culture of giving the cup to the newest person in the team. He never wanted the limelight. He always wanted the team to do well," he added.
"Yes we won the World Cups because of the hard work of each and every player. But while the ship may have many celebrities on it, the task to take it from one destination to another always is always done by the captain. No matter how much you put a flight on autopilot, you need the pilot," he further stated.
While Dhoni called time on his international career in 2020, he continues to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The 42-year-old captained CSK to a record-equalling fifth IPL title earlier this year.
Following the IPL 2023 triumph, Dhoni said it won’t be easy for him to play one more IPL season but he will try his best to give a gift to his fans.
“Looking for an answer? Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say "Thank you very much", but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL. A lot depends on the body, I have 6-7 months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side, it's not easy for me but that's a gift. The way they've shown their love and affection, I think that's something I need to do for them,” Dhoni had said.
