The Legend Of MS Dhoni

Last week of 2004 cannot be forgotten by Indians for two reasons: One the disastrous tsunami which struck Indian coastline and second the debut of a cricketer who personified a calm ocean. When MS Dhoni made his debut in Indian team versus Bangladesh in December 2004, most of the Indian fans considered him to be another blink and miss wicketkeeper batsman. After Nayan Mongia, India saw rise and fall of many keepers- Karim, Dighe, Ratra, MSK Prasad, Dahiya, Parthiv, Dinesh Karthik and even Dravid! Though the Dravid experiment succeeded in 2003 World Cup, Indians knew that the team needed a proper keeper. But not many expected this long haired Ranchi boy to take that position. But within 4 months he became the national heartthrob- thanks to that stunning 148 versus Pakistan in Vizag. And suddenly a new sensation was born. And the legend of MSD started to grow match by match.

By 2007 he had cemented his position in team as first choice keeper and a destructive batsman- much more than what we expected from a keeper. But it came as a surprise to see him chosen as Captain for the inaugural T20 World Cup. And he delivered an absolutely sensational triumph in the tournament. This victory was more than what it seemed. It reignited the partially doused cricketing passion in a cricket-crazy nation deeply hurt by 2007 World Cup debacle. It showed that the youngsters like Gambhir, Rohit, Irfan were ready to be challenged. And most importantly it showed that India had much more than Sachin-Saurav-Dravid-Kumble. The way he marshalled his team in the tournament was simply superb. As a consequence soon he was handed over the responsibility of One day team. And by the end of 2008 when Kumble handed over Test captaincy to Dhoni, he was “The Man” for Indian cricket.

What followed was something very dramatic. After registering Test wins against major teams of the world came the big moment for MSD- the moment which all cricket fans across the globe will never forget. In the 2011 World Cup, he led the home team to a spectacular victory. Fuelled by stellar performances by Sachin, Sehwag, Zaheer, Ashwin and of course Yuvi, Indian team did well to march into finals despite Dhoni’s lukewarm performance. But it was on 2^nd April 2011 when the Indian team suddenly seemed vulnerable chasing 274 against Sri Lanka. With Sachin, Sehwag, Kohli back in pavilion, cometh the man at number 5- promoting himself ahead of Yuvraj. And what followed was an evening to cherish for lifetime! With Gambhir, he brought the chase back on route and then finished it off in his own inimitable style to trigger celebrations all over India. It was this moment where he displayed his magical calmness to the world.

But his glorious success was followed with some bitter pills. Test team’s performance abroad was seriously substandard. Even Dhoni himself came under the scanner as a Test player. But he kept calm, and tried to make up for this farce in limited overs versions. 2013 Champions Trophy was another example of his positively stoic character. In this trophy he famously said, “I can afford losing a match or two, but can’t see losing a player by demoralizing him”.

Hard times continued for him. England and Australia tours were disappointments. But he stayed true to his character. He shocked everyone with his Test retirement. But continued with good show in One dayers and T20s- especially IPL. Questions are being raised about his form after 2016 World T20 and IPL 9. His reflexes, his fitness, his motivation all are absolutely fine. Yet runs seem to have deserted him. The frequency of biggies from his bat has reduced. And yet, as we know him, we all hope somewhere in our hearts that he will rise. That’s what makes him MSD!

Dhoni is a legend beyond Cricket. He is the face of aspiring youth of post liberalization India. He is an inspiration for millions of small town boys and girls, who want to make it big without any Godfather. He is not perfect, like all of us. Yet he is an icon of calmness, maturity and leadership. He is not Kapil, he is not Sachin, not even Gilchrist or Bevan. He is MS DHONI, the first of his name, the king of calmness, the epitome of leadership, the finisher of contests. And even with all his imperfections and shortcomings, he will always be the same for all his fans…

ESPN Story: The Audacious Indian