The legendary MS Dhoni is regarded as an epitome of inspiration and perseverance in the Indian cricket spectacle. Hailing from a place not renowned for producing cricketing talent, Dhoni's meteoric rise to the pinnacle of international cricket and his unparalleled captaincy success serves as an awe-inspiring narrative.
As the mastermind behind India's victories in both the 2007 T20 Cricket World Cup and the 2011 ODI Cricket World Cup, his achievements are etched into the annals of cricket history. With another World Cup approaching, ardent fans of Indian cricket harbor hopes for the Rohit Sharma-led brigade to mirror the golden era under Dhoni's captaincy.
A window into Dhoni's leadership came to light when S Sreesanth, a key player in both victorious World Cup campaigns, shared his relationship with the lndian legend. "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," stated Sreesanth on Sportskeeda.
Digging deeper, Sreesanth highlighted Dhoni's selfless nature and team-first approach during pinnacle moments. "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," Sreesanth expressed.
Reiterating the sentiments on Dhoni's influence, he commented, "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."
Adding to the narrative, Gautam Gambhir, another esteemed former teammate of Dhoni, shared his perspective on Star Sports. Emphasising Dhoni's versatility, Gambhir said, "MS (Dhoni) was the first wicketkeeper of India who could change the game with his batting. Earlier, they were keepers first and batters later, but MS was batter first and then was a wicketkeeper. It was a blessing for Indian cricket that in MS Dhoni, we got a wicketkeeper-batter who can win you matches from No 7, because he had that power game. If MS would have batted at No 3, I am sure he could have broken several ODI records."
Gambhir also touched upon the sacrifice Dhoni made for the team, ""People always talk about MS Dhoni and his achievements as a captain, which is absolutely true. But I feel due to captaincy, he sacrificed the batter in him, and he could have achieved much more with his bat which he didn't. And this happens when you are a captain because then you put the team ahead, and you forget about yourself. He started batting at No 6 or 7. If he had not been captain, he would have been India's No 3, and I think he could have scored more than what he has scored and could have scored more hundreds also."
Dhoni's accolades speak volumes. Under his astute leadership, India clinched three coveted ICC titles: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Captaining India in a staggering 332 matches—a record in international cricket—he secured victories in 178 of them. With a win rate of 53.61 per cent, combined with the silverware he's added to India's cabinet, MS Dhoni stands tall as India's most accomplished cricket captain in history.
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