Happy Birthday MS Dhoni
Happy Birthday MS Dhoni, MSD Birthday, MS Dhoni Birthday Special, MS Dhoni Achievements, MS Dhoni Journey in Indian Cricket, MS Dhoni Birthday Celebration, Dhoni’s Love for Football, Dhoni’s love for Cricket.
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Cricket in India was primarily concentrated in the main metros largely. Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka were the main centers through which players flowed into the system. It was highly unimaginable for a player coming from a small town to play for India. Prior to the IPL, the game wasn’t even lucrative for players to keep toiling day in and day out. One man came in and everything changed in Indian cricket.
How a football lover changed to cricket:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni aspired to be a football goalkeeper in his early childhood days. Keshav Banerjee the school coach identified his talent and asked him to keep wickets for the school. He was the one who inspired a young Dhoni to take up the sport. His wicketkeeping skills earned him the praise of the locals and he soon went on to become a regular for the Commando Club (1995-98).
He did all right in junior cricket:
Dhoni at 17 was asked to represent the CCL team (Central Coal Fields Limited). He played in the top order for the club and his continual good showing earned him a spot in the A division. Deval Sahay, the then VP and Cricket President of Ranchi district pushed for Dhoni’s selection in the Bihar side. Within a year of this move, he represented the senior Bihar team.
The U-19 World Cup snub:
Bihar was not a side that was taken seriously back then. A player had to be exceptional to be recognized. Dhoni had a solid couple of years but that didn’t evoke a reaction from the U-19 selection committee. In what was a clash of the titans game in the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy, Dhoni hit 84 to help Bihar post 357. But a spectacular Yuvraj Singh singlehandedly smashed 358 and his team, Punjab hit 839. Dhoni wasn’t selected for the U-19 World Cup where Yuvraj went on to win the MOS award. The boy was heartbroken.
The struggles behind the stardom:
From 2001-03, Dhoni wasn’t making headway. His career alternated between working as a TTE (Travel Ticket Examiner) and a domestic state player. Dhoni though didn’t give up. He kept persisting. The dual role of a working professional and a sports player was taking a toll on him. Time was running out fast for someone who was already turning 23. Something had to give.
The golden timing of TRDW:
Jagmohan Dalmiya’s brainchild to launch a program called TRDW (Talent Resource Development Wing) changed the dynamics of Indian cricket. Dilip Vengsarkar spearheaded this initiative to identify talents from lesser-known places. Prakash Poddar, a former Bengal captain saw Dhoni play in Jamshedpur and immediately sent his name to the NCA. Dhoni finally came under the spotlight.
The India-A tour to Kenya:
Dhoni was the unofficial player of the tournament in the tri-series involving Kenya, India A, and Pakistan A. He scored 362 runs comprising 2 centuries at an average of 72.40. This performance caught the eye of national selectors and Dhoni was inducted into the side in December 2004. After a forgettable debut, Dhoni soon showed his mettle smashing highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper in ODIs twice in the same year (2005). He became the fastest batsman to top the ODI rankings (42 innings) in April 2006.
The Midas touch:
India had a horrendous ODI World Cup in 2007. There was severe backlash over the team’s dismal performance. To avoid any such scenario, the BCCI decided to field a very young team for T20 World Cup 2007. They appointed MS Dhoni as the captain. It was Sachin Tendulkar who recommended Dhoni’s name for captaincy ahead of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni led the side to glory as India emerged inaugural T20 World Cup champions. India’s win gave birth to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni quite naturally became the most expensive player in the inaugural auction (INR 6 crores).
The trophy cabinet:
Within a span of 6 years, MS Dhoni won almost every possible cricketing trophy that he led the side in. India won two World Cups (T20 in 2007 and ODI in 2011), Asia Cup (2010), the number 1 ranked Test team (2009-11), IPL titles (2010 and 2011), CL T20 in 2010, and the Champions trophy in 2013. There has not been any captain as decorated as Dhoni in the game’s history.
The final phase, retirement, and CSK jersey:
Dhoni didn’t have the greatest of years leading to his retirement as an international player. His natural batting skills started to slow down. Dhoni played his last game for India in the heartbreaking semifinal of the 2019 World Cup. But Dhoni continues to play for CSK. He led the so-called Dad’s Army to glory in 2018 and 2021. CSK finished ninth in 2022 but Dhoni led his troops brilliantly to win a record-equalling fifth IPL title. The fans still want more of him while he self-admittedly feels he has not much gas left.
Dhoni has done many things for Indian cricket. He has wowed, amazed, and inspired fans in equal measure. No game is ever lost until Dhoni is at the crease. It was this immense belief that made people from the age of 6-60 and beyond adore him. But what remains his life’s biggest takeaway is the fact that a man from nowhere went on to define an entire era and showed no matter where you start always finish like Dhoni!
Happy birthday MS Dhoni, captain!
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