Captain cool, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has contributed to Indian cricket in many ways. He has not just been India’s most successful skipper in terms of winning ICC trophies but has also helped many cricketers to flower under his reign.
We at Stumpsandbails bring you 5 cricketers who have credited MS Dhoni for the success they have achieved at the international level.
Also Read | India vs Pakistan: 5 Iconic Moments Between The Arch-Rivals
#1 Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has often been vocal about his love and admiration for MS Dhoni. He was quoted saying, “Dhoni will always remain my captain.” Kohli was on the verge of getting dropped from the Indian Test team in Australia in 2011-12. Many cricket experts believed that Kohli is not a good fit for Test cricket. But Dhoni showed faith in Kohli and he played all 4 Test matches. Kohli immediately reposed the faith shown in him by Dhoni, when he cracked an amazing century at Adelaide in the final Test. This innings made Kohli the Test batsman he is now. And Kohli rightly credits Dhoni for standing by him.
#2 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma was another one of MS Dhoni’s beneficiaries. Dhoni was so adamant in Rohit Sharma getting a chance to play for India that he kept one among Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Gautam Gambhir on the bench to accommodate Sharma in the playing XI. Many critics ridiculed Dhoni’s move and called him stubborn but he still stuck by Sharma. In a last throw of dice, Dhoni asked Sharma to open for India in ODI’s and rest as they say is history. Sharma is now one of the best limited-overs openers of all time. Sharma is forever grateful to Dhoni for persisting with him.
Also Read | Virat Kohli Had Some Inspiring Words For His Team Before Leaving For India
#3 Faf Du Plessis
Faf Du Plessis along with AB De Villiers were the two best South African batsmen of the decade. He made his debut with an impressive century against Australia at Adelaide in 2012. Du Plessis was part of the Chennai Super Kings setup since 2012. He has been one of the cornerstones for CSK during this phase.
Du Plessis has credited Dhoni for helping him know the tricks of the trade during his association with him at IPL. Du Plessis stated, “I always ask him (Dhoni), how is he so cool and I can say two things about Dhoni. I have been fortunate to have played under him and I have a huge amount of respect for him. Secondly, I know what he brings to the table. He is a calm captain and knows how to handle pressure situations. You can learn to be your own man.”
#4 Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum can be credited to have revolutionised New Zealand cricket. His approach of playing fearless cricket resonated with cricket fans across the globe. McCullum was the one who set the IPL stage on fire right in the league’s first game. He was acquired by Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 IPL auction. He picked up Dhoni’s brains during his time with CSK. McCullum admitted, “When I play for CSK, I try to learn from how MS goes about his work and enjoy not having to take up the responsibility myself.”
Also Read | India In Australia: Five Controversies That Shook The Cricketing World
#5 Kuldeep Yadav
He is easily the most celebrated left-arm wrist spinner in the game currently. Kuldeep Yadav is the only Indian to have bagged 2 ODI hat-tricks. Yadav never fails to shy away from the fact that MS Dhoni has helped him immensely in his career. He quoted that, “He always guides us, bowlers, whenever he feels the need to get his message across he does it. When the wicketkeeper supports you like that, it becomes easier for the bowler. A lot of times, the bowler is not able to understand the situation but the wicketkeeper understands it better. Mahi Bhai is just like that.”
