MS Dhoni and His Eccentric Decisions: Mahi Stuns Everyone with His Decision to Join His Army Regiment It is a bright sunny day at Johannesburg. 39 overs of a 40 over cricket contest have elapsed. India have lost a 50 over World Cup final at the same venue- some 4 years ago and now a T20 World Cup win is at stake and that too against the arch-rivals Pakistan. The Indian captain has two choices- one to give the final over to a veteran off spinner, immensely experienced and someone who has a reputation in world Cricket and the other to believe in a largely inexperienced medium pacer who has looked off color so far. Unlike me, the captain did not have all the time in the world to come to a decision. And from the moment Mahendra Singh Dhoni tossed the ball to Joginder Sharma that day, he had made one thing pretty clear- he was a free thinker. What went behind a typical MS Dhoni decision? On top of the list would be his ability to trust his instincts and willingness to take risks. As a first time captain, Dhoni’s handing over the ball to Joginder for that last over was him learning the tricks of the trade. When he decided to walk in ahead of the inform Yuvraj Singh in the famous World Cup final in 2011, he was only believing his instinct even though he hadn’t been amongst the runs in the entire tournament. A testimony to his belief in himself was the way he handled the senior players in his team because remember in a team which had the likes of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, suddenly a young, relatively inexperienced guy was made the captain and although he did respect his seniors, he was always firm when it came to backing a player he believed in or taking a call on the field. The other thing that helped Dhoni make a decision was knowing the strength and weakness of not only his team but also the opposition. Against Misbah Ul Haq in that world Cup final, for instance, Dhoni was aware that Misbah is a much better player of spin and would fancy his chances against the off spinner Harbhajan with the ball turning into the right hander. Quite later in his captaincy stint, in a post-match
presentation, Dhoni explained how Bumrah was “weak” in the fielding department or how Pandya wasn’t the best person to bowl the Yorker- Facts that helped him take a crucial call. And of course he lived in the moment. It is easier for us to analyze his decision long after the game is over but to be in the moment and take decisions, meticulously weighing the possible consequences of it, when the stakes are high, is just marvelous. The best examples being- Dhoni letting Sachin take the center stage in the post-World Cup celebrations and him offering Sourav Ganguly captaincy for the final few overs in the latter’s farewell game. By the way there is a fish which is called Mahi, which, of course doubles up as Dhoni’s nickname. And so I remember in a Cricket show once, Gaurav Kapur was sharing this anecdote in which after a game at Wankhede, in the dinner menu there was a dish called Grilled Mahi and Gaurav takes the menu and shows it to MS and says look you were on the menu today and Mahi replies “ That’s because they know they cannot grill me on the field” It didn’t matter to him that he had lost that game- always so calm. On a few occasions, reporters were on the receiving end of Dhoni’s wit and his presence of mind. That justifies Mike Hussy’s remark who once said MS Dhoni’s sense of humor is like a naughty child. As a captain, he was arguably the best when the slower bowlers were bowling well in tandem. It seemed to me that he was comfortable and secure when the spinners were on but was tad too defensive when the pacers came in, which is probably why India had some forgettable tours especially in Red Ball Cricket under his captaincy. Now how do you pick one of the many things he achieved as captain? According to me, his greatest achievement, is the lesson that middle class small towners can go out there and have the World at their feet.
When Dhoni gave the ball to Joginder that day, perhaps he did not know that he was starting a new chapter in Indian Cricket. India defeated Pakistan in that final. Dhoni was soon made captain across all three formats because of his success in the T20 World Cup. Till 2011 he had alongside his name- a T20 World Cup, the No. 1 rankings in Test Matches and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. In 2013, the ICC Champions Trophy came in to his already fulfilling cabinet. Three IPL wins, 2 Champions League titles, Dhoni achieved everything a captain aspires for achieving in International Cricket. In ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 semifinal against the New Zealand, had MS Dhoni’s calculations helped India win the match, the same people who have had a rather harsh view on MS’s skills would be praising him but perhaps that was not meant to be. However, Dhoni yet again did what he does best. Stun everyone around with his decisions. He did not choose to retire or hang up his boot or spend a vacation with family, instead, he will serve his regiment in the army- another testimony to how hardly anyone can predict what’s going on in his mind. Perhaps, MS has it in him to be a part of another memorable Indian Championship win. Whatever it may be, one thing is for sure, the moment he feels it is time to move on, he will retire- he does not want any farewells or goodbyes.
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