MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI’S practical approach has been his biggest asset.
“Mahi is a footballer-turned-cricketer and I was a cricketer-turned-footballer,” says Narendra Singh Dhoni, around 10 years older than Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD), about his famous sibling.
“Perhaps Mahi, who was very young at that time, does not know about my cricket. Later, I played for the school team as a football goalkeeper in several national-level events but followed international cricket keenly.”
Narendra is spot on in his analysis of the two world titles India won under his brother’s captaincy. “For me, Mahi’s contribution in the two finals is the biggest — as a captain, in placing a fielder at short fineleg to take Pakistan’s last wicket in the final, in 2007 (World T20) and as a batsman, coming up the order in the final, in 2011 (ICC World Cup).
“This time, his role is different but very important,” says Narendra, admitting his ‘generation gap’ with MSD and the lack of cricket talk with his brother.
Jaykumar Sinha, a former Ranchi University coach and the convenor of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association, follows MSD’s moves closely. “Dhoni has got everything in life and he does not need to do what he is doing (for the World Cup). He is great as he is doing this for the team,” says Sinha.
Sinha, who has seen MSD evolve from a youngster to a world champion, decodes the entertainer’s game. “There is no one to replace him. This is a great opportunity for the Indian side. It has a batsman who can bat both ways (as per the situation) at No. 4.”
This story is from the June 15, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the June 15, 2019 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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