5 Things That Set MS Dhoni Apart From Other Captains

Many players have captained India, including Kapil Dev, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. When compared to MS Dhoni, the small-town youngster who changed the face of the sport in the country, they are all different but yet similar.

There’s something unusual about the Ranchi boy, who continues to create news while making few public appearances.

Let’s take a look at five characteristics that distinguish him from other captains:

Taking the Initiative

Mahi has single-handedly won matches for India on multiple occasions. He consistently ranked among the ICC’s top ten ODI batsmen and was a terrific and exceptional finisher of the game.

A team leader should be able to provide a good example, especially when the team is in need. Nobody can ever forget MSD’s innings in the 2011 World Cup Final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. He rose to the situation and was instrumental in the triumph.

Also Read | List: ICC ODI World Cup Winners

Calmness

A unique attribute that typically distinguishes a strong leader. Kane Williamson of New Zealand is a prime example of this.

In sports, aggression has been associated with addressing the opponent verbally or through certain behaviours that are excellent for the camera and TRP. However, someone like Dhoni calls that notion into question.

Imagine not flinching in the most stressful situation; imagine smiling after smashing a sixer to win the World Cup in front of 40,000 people. MS Dhoni demonstrated that aggression is multifaceted.

Also Read | 10 Memorable Moments in ODI World Cup History

The Private Man

Indian leaders in the past, like Virat Kohli, as well as the current one, Rohit Sharma, all had visibility outside of the field. But MS Dhoni simply vanishes into his own world after the matches.

Apart from the videos and photos provided by his wife, Sakshi, MS Dhoni is difficult to find. Fans are extremely interested in this. Dhoni’s photographs with his horses, dogs, automobiles, and bikes become surreal. They go viral frequently.

Whether the series was successful or not, Mahi simply enjoyed returning to his hometown of Ranchi to live with his family.

Also Read | What is MS Dhoni’s Net Worth?

Never Give Up Attitude

We have never seen a greater game observer than MS Dhoni. Dhoni always goes with his gut instincts and makes decisions based on them. Simply put, he never gave up until the last ball was bowled.

Let us illustrate with an example:

Who can forget the legendary tied league match between India and Pakistan in the 2007 T20 World Cup? A bowl-out was to decide the outcome of the match. And, predictably, India won the bowl-out match, extending their unblemished streak against their archrivals.

Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, and Robin Uthappa were the notable performers in this match.

In such a stressful circumstance, any other captain would have chosen regular bowlers, but Dhoni chose two part-timers. Robin Uthappa was hardly even a part-time bowler, to put it mildly. He was a wicket-keeper batsman with the ability to roll over his arm like MS Dhoni or AB de Villiers.

Why did he select Robin Uthappa? Isn’t it something out of the ordinary?

Well, Dhoni is most known for doing something unique, whether it was elevating himself ahead of Yuvraj in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 final or asking Ishant Sharma to bowl short to England batsmen at Lord’s during India’s 2014 tour of England, which India won unexpectedly.

Success Handling

People who achieve success in their early careers frequently lose their balance. Mahendra Singh Dhoni achieved success early in his career, but he was and continues to be humble and modest. He is not overly emotional, win or lose. He understands how to deal with success.

Dhoni abruptly departed from Test cricket in 2014. He was only ten Tests away from 100 and 124 runs away from 5,000 in the longest format. On that Australia tour, a Test match remained to be played, but the great man simply called it quits.

The same thing happened on August 15, 2020, when he said goodbye to the game’s other two forms. He posted an Instagram photo with the comment, “From 1929 hrs, consider me retired.”

Dhoni is an institute in and of himself because of the five factors listed above. Numerous captains and players look up to Dhoni as a source of inspiration. Taking note of and adapting to the five things listed above will undoubtedly improve their attitude and renew their mindset.