Follow UsMS Dhoni has won it all as an Indian captain, starting with the T20 World Cup back in 2007. The charismatic captain left no stone unturned during his stint, leading India in 332 international matches with 178 wins.
Despite not having much captaincy experience before leading India, Dhoni’s leadership often revolved around his strategic thinking, street-smart captaincy style and trust in his set of players. Ishant Sharma, who has played 47 games under Dhoni’s leadership, recalled what made him different from the others.
“Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) ke team main difference kya tha? Mahi bhai aise insaan hai jo field pe cheezay karte hai. Unko field pe karna pasand hai. The planning occurred based on the game situation. (What was different about playing under MS Dhoni? Mahi bhai was someone who did things on the field. He liked doing things on the field),” Ishant said on Raj Shamani’s podcast.
However, Ishant was also quick to point out that it wasn’t the same with Virat Kohli’s team India.
“With Virat (Kohli), that wasn’t the case. There was a basic plan, and then based on how things progressed, we assessed and made decisions. MS Dhoni was not a big believer in meetings. He had a simple funda that you will learn only if you make mistakes. He thought that if you made one mistake and how much time you take to make the next mistake, that is consistency,” he added.
Ishant also remembered the 2013 Champions Trophy final, where India bested England. It was a rain-curtailed encounter, and for most parts before the clash, it felt like the game wouldn’t begin. Recalling that clash, Ishant said how Dhoni was preparing the team for a curtailed encounter.
“During the 2013 Champions Trophy final, it was raining and everyone thought the game would be washed out. He said, yeh match hoga, chota hoga par yeh mat sochna ki bhagwan aake match jeetayega. Khudh he kuch karna padega, sab cheezay. Bhagwaan pe maano, lekin khudh pe vishwas karo.” (This match will happen. It would be a shortened game, but don’t think that god will come and win you the game. You will need to do everything on your own. He says have faith in god, but have belief in your own self too),” Ishant said.