M. S. Dhoni - By Charindra Chandrasena

Indian Cricketer ‘ M. S. Dhoni ‘ – By Charindra Chandrasena

M. S. Dhoni’s rags-to-riches story alone could inspire anybody, but he has done it in a style that is hard to replicate. India is a country driven by emotion, whether it’s in politics, religion, cinema or cricket. Dhoni has been the logical counterpoint to this norm for 18 years. The most un-Indian Indian captain ever.

The first time I really noticed Dhoni was when he smashed 150 against Pakistan in 2005. He looked kind of cool with long rockstar hair and an ability to hit the ball ridiculously hard. I didn’t think he would be a great batsman because his technique had major holes, but I didn’t know at the time that he would become captain.

He then shortened his hair and went on to become the father figure of the team. His captaincy style always reminded me of Arjuna; tough, cool and totally in control of his team. In fact, one reason Sri Lanka almost never beat India in ODI, T20 matches during his captaincy is because we didn’t have a captain who could match him, not even Mahela.

It has been a treat to watch Dhoni maintain his icy coolness in ultra-tense situations, which helps his players stay calm and win tight games. He has also inspired many young players to rise above themselves, including Matheesha Pathirana. However, some players have become so dependent on his guidance that their careers have fizzled out without him as captain. Hopefully that doesn’t happen to Pathirana.

He has two major weaknesses. One, he was not a great Test captain, especially when playing abroad, and he always preferred limited overs. Two, he got addicted to taking the game deep and actually failed to win matches that could have been won with a slightly earlier charge.

Apart from these he has been an almost perfect captain, and one of my favourite cricketers. He rescued Indian cricket in 2007 and deserves a grand farewell if tonight’s IPL Final is his last competitive match.