The legendary former captain of the Indian cricket team, MS Dhoni shared his opinions on public relations and social media. Even though Dhoni is one of the most well-known athletes in the world, he has continuously avoided the spotlight on internet platforms. He revealed how his managers frequently pressured him to use social media for marketing, but Dhoni persisted in his conviction that his cricketing exploits should be self-evident.
MS Dhoni reveals his evergreen policy
Dhoni, who made his debut in 2004, saw the emergence of social media sites like Instagram and Twitter, but he consistently felt that if he performed well, no more publicity was necessary. His strategy demonstrates that he prioritizes the game over internet popularity and is a tribute to his principles of simplicity and attention. Fans who like Dhoni's grounded demeanour find resonance in his remarks.
"I have never been a big fan of social media. Throughout, I have had so many managers and all of them keep pushing. I started playing in 2004; Twitter got popular later on, after which Instagram came in. All the managers told me, ‘you should do some PR, build this and build that’. I had the same answer that if you play good cricket, you don’t need PR," Dhoni said on Eurogrip Tred Talks.
Dhoni's prolific career
In an ODI match against Bangladesh, Dhoni was dismissed for a duck on his debut for India, but he continued to gain prominence after that. Dhoni led India to an ODI World Cup triumph in 2011 after leading the national team to victory in the first Men's T20 World Cup in 2007. Then, under Dhoni's captaincy, India also won the Champions Trophy in 2013.
After the Melbourne Test in 2014, Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket. Dhoni retired from all international cricket competitions in August 2020. Dhoni will participate in the 18th Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2025 as an uncapped player for the Chennai Super Kings franchise.