A few days ago, former India opening batter Gautam Gambhir shed light on ex-captain MS Dhoni's selfless nature and his relentless desire to prioritise the team's requirements over personal milestones. Gambhir said that Dhoni could have broken a ton of records had he continued batting at the No.3 position in ODIs but he sacrificed that for the greater good. Reacting to Gambhir's statement, former India pacer S Sreesanth said that Dhoni didn't sacrifice his batting position but adjusted according to the comfort zone of other players.
"Gautam Bhai said recently that Dhoni would have scored more runs had he batted at No.3. But for Dhoni it was always about more victories than more runs. He always had the ability to finish games when the team needed him and he won two World Cups as well,” Sreesanth said in an interview with Sportskeeda.
"Credit should go to Dhoni, but he didn't sacrifice his batting position. He worked a way to find out which players would do well for the team in which position and then slot them in those positions accordingly. His captaincy had the ability to bring the best out of his players. He has always thought about the team first," the former India fast bowler added.
Under Dhoni's astute leadership, India scaled significant heights, clinching the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Additionally, the team secured victories in the Asia Cup in 2011 and 2016, triumphed in Test series in 2010 and 2011, and took home the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008, 2010, and 2013. Dhoni's captaincy also witnessed India becoming the top-ranked side in ODIs.
While Dhoni's cricketing achievements are monumental, Gambhir emphasized that his stats could have been even more stellar had he batted higher up the order. With 10,773 runs in 350 ODIs, 4,876 runs in 90 Tests, and 1,617 runs in 98 T20Is, Dhoni's statistics are impressive. But according to Gambhir, Dhoni prioritized team success over personal milestones, showcasing his dedication as a leader.
"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," Gambhir had said.
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