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While he's celebrated for his calm and composed demeanor, those who have played with MS Dhoni know he also has a furious side. His three ICC titles and five IPL trophies weren't won by chance, there has always been a method to his madness. As part of that intense focus, there were moments when even the famously unflappable Dhoni would lose his temper.
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and India pacer Mohit Sharma narrated one such instance with MS Dhoni. Mohit, who played under Dhoni's leadership at the CSK in the early years of his career, recently shared an incident from the Champions League T20 (CLT20).
When Mohit Sharma had to bear MS Dhoni's wrath
During a match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mohit misunderstood a signal from Dhoni, believing he was being called to bowl. He soon realized that Dhoni had intended to bring in a different pacer. Despite Mohit taking a wicket in that very over, Dhoni continued to scold him for the mix-up.
"I had a lot of moments. Mahi bhai has a cool and calm aura. You don’t expect him to lose his cool. Being a young guy, you get excited when he loses his cool at you. There was a moment in the CLT20 against KKR, Mahi bhai called Ishwar Pandey to bowl, but I thought he called me. I started my run-up, but Mahi bhai said he didn’t call me to bowl, and he tried calling Ishwar. The umpire said I have to continue bowling as I had started my run-up. He lost his cool at me and abused me. I took Yusuf [Pathan] bhai’s wicket on the first ball. During the celebration, Mahi bhai was still hurling abuses (laughs)," Mohit told CricTracker.
Mohit also admitted that Dhoni has had a significant influence on his life, both on and off the field. The 36-year-old stated that he has spent considerable time with the former captain and that Dhoni imparts valuable life lessons to his teammates.
“At the same time, I had a lot of off-field moments [with him]. He is someone who loves to teach things. Every time you sit with him, you learn something in life, not just about the sport. He teaches how cricket can make a kind human,” Mohit added.
After joining CSK in 2013, the Haryana-born pacer quickly became one of Dhoni's most trusted bowlers. The 36-year-old right-arm pacer had a phenomenal start to his career, taking 20 wickets in his debut IPL season and following it up with 23 wickets in 2014, which earned him the prestigious Purple Cap. Over three seasons with the team from 2013 to 2015, he accumulated an impressive 57 wickets.
Mohit played for CSK in two separate stints under the leadership of Dhoni. During his first three seasons with the team, from 2013 to 2015, he was highly successful. He later rejoined the squad in 2019, adding another 12 wickets to his tally.
Following his initial success with CSK, Mohit played for other franchises, including Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals, and Gujarat Titans. He rejoined the Super Kings in 2019 but was unable to replicate his earlier form. Despite this, he remains one of the franchise’s leading wicket-takers, with a total of 69 wickets across four seasons.
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