The uncommon impact of Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Two incidents – one from a teammate’s point of view, the other from a fan’s perspective -- in the wake of the announcement of his retirement captured M S Dhoni’s persona. Dhoni’s India and Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina, 33, ended his own international career the same day in a touching gesture. A day later, thousands of miles away in Chicago, one of Dhoni’s biggest fans, Mohammad Bashir Bozai, declared that he would stop travelling the world to watch India-Pakistan matches. ‘Chacha Chicago’, of Pakistani origin, averred, “Dhoni has retired, and so have I.” That’s how much Dhoni touched teammates and fans alike. The depression stemming from the pandemic briefly disappeared into the background, even Independence Day fervour took a backseat and the raging debate over the mysterious death of a famous actor – who ironically had reprised Dhoni on celluloid -- was given a breather following Dhoni’s Instagram declaration.

Dhoni’s announcement of the end of his 16-year international career in a 16-word message was as organised as his game itself. It had a rippling effect, too, again not unlike his game, which was unorthodox in every aspect but unquestionably effective. Dhoni broke into the team when it was considered unfashionable for small-town boys to dream of an India career. By the time he was finished, he had become hinterland India’s hero, a role model to emulate and an inspiration to pursue one’s dreams. It is not difficult to explain the Dhoni phenomenon. His uninhibited batting, spectacular wicket-keeping, composed captaincy and no-frills demeanour made him the complete package. Dhoni is the perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

As a finisher in limited-over contests, he was as calculative as he was explosive. Though not in the classical mould, as a wicketkeeper, he could conjure stumpings and runouts out of thin air, literally. And as captain, his reading of the game was impeccable, especially in the shorter formats. He didn’t enjoy great success in Test matches outside of the sub-continent and the West Indies, but that was largely because of the lack of pacemen in the team. The emergence of CSK as one of the dominant teams in the Indian Premier League greatly contributed to the Dhoni cult. As captain and undeclared mentor of the team, he has been the indomitable force holding the CSK team together. Fortunately for his fans, he isn’t lost to franchise cricket yet, and will soon get down to the business of shepherding the yellow brigade in the UAE.