Dhoni closes in on a rare feat

Almost seven years after he led India to World T20 triumph in South Africa in 2007, MS Dhoni is on the cusp of an encore as he leads India in the final against Sri Lanka here on Sunday.

It’s been an eventful journey for the Jharkhand cricketer who has been praised and pilloried in equal measure. The 32-year-old, however, has maintained his equanimity in both triumph and tribulations. He is not the one to be swayed by accolades nor does he flinch in the face of criticism. Dhoni, already the reigning captain of 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy, is on the verge of becoming the only captain in the world to hold all the ICC titles at the same time but the Indian skipper, unsurprisingly, didn’t attach too much importance to the impending feat.    

“That’s something that will be very good for the side,” Dhoni said on the prospects of holding all the three tournaments. “... But that’s something we can think about once we have done well in the final tomorrow. As of now we shouldn’t really think about if we win the final tomorrow what are the things that we could have achieved?  I think what’s important for us is to play good cricket. That will be the crucial aspect and not thinking about what may happen if we win the final or thinking about the result,” he reasoned.
Dhoni’s calm demeanour is one of the most talked about things but the Indian skipper revealed that it is an acquired trait and that he used to be a bad loser. “I don’t think I was calm from childhood,” he pointed out. “I’m someone who doesn’t like losing much.

When I was young I had trouble controlling the emotions associated with getting defeated. Over a period of time, I have learnt how to control this emotion. I’m a believer in the fact that your emotions are yours only and hence you should be the one who knows how to control it. Over time I found dealing with emotions easier. I feel it is important because in a game there are so many stages where you don’t want to take a decision emotionally. You have to be practical as to what’s the best option,” he explained.
He got a touch philosophical when asked recall his journey as a captain.

During his stint at the helm Dhoni has led India to the top of the Test rankings and won all the three ICC events. But the wicketkeeper-batsman has seen some big lows as well, both on and off the field. “Over the years that I have been the captain I have seen almost everything,” he began. “There is nothing really that I have not seen in cricket. We have Indian cricket performing at their best and at the same time we had go through a lean patch where we had really tough times. Controversies are a big part of Indian cricket and I have been through all it. There’s hardly good or bad in Indian cricket that happens without my name. We have to go through everything,” he remarked.