A season begins, an era ends, and life goes on for MS Dhoni
It took place silently. A murmur into thin air. Similar to how it was in 2014. Afterward, in 2020. the conclusion of a period. The final action of MS Dhoni as captain was to lift the IPL title. His act of defying expectations is his most enduring.
From working for Indian Railways to being a breakout cricket sensation, World Cup winner, IPL champion, and finally the stuff of pure fiction, he’s made it look like it’s been a straight line. On Thursday night, he was content to spend his evenings playing volleyball with his feet.
It was evident about two hours before to this training session that he had made a decision that would change his life, if not Ruturaj Gaikwad’s. The long hair he had back in the day was blowing in the breeze as he struck a ball towards the opposite end of the outfield.
As captain of CSK, he has played in 285 games. That is only two fewer games than Virat Kohli played in the Indian Premier League. And despite all those games, he never failed to surprise. Rewinding to that crazy evening in Dharamsala in 2010. A glitch in the system at the time caused the feeling to explode. In the 16 years of this tournament, there hasn’t been a more visceral celebration than when the person known as Captain Cool loses it and essentially punches himself in the face. But he definitely exceeded himself 10 months earlier when he took a grown man by the middle and lifted him up high on a completely shot knee.
During Thursday’s practise, it was Ravindra Jadeja who was preventing Dhoni from taking the crease. Clear hits above cover and on the ground were met with silence once more. There was hardly anyone on the ground, maybe a hundred or so, and they were all there for one individual. He frequently wears odd pads, says “Well, of course” at the beginning of sentences, and drops bombshells without warning.
When it was eventually his turn to bat, he exceeded expectations once more. Essentially, Dhoni’s IPL practise sessions are like an examination of the structural soundness of cricket balls. He belts them, really. Here, he began with a dokku, which is Tamil for “block.” It served as a reminder that the in-between length on and around off stump can still keep him quiet. The individual using the sidearm swiftly assessed the situation, moved his line closer to Dhoni’s body, and soon the leg-side boundary was peppered with those old-fashioned strokes. A sight of the helicopter was caught. One that lifted off the earth. And another that served as a cautionary tale to anyone considering wide yorker bowling.
“It’s annoying, isn’t it?” Stephen Fleming, the coach of CSK, grinned while discussing Dhoni’s abilities. That it’s so simple to achieve. But no, the way he prepared and performed during the preseason has truly astounded me. And I have high hopes that he will play a significant role for us in that capacity later on.
But we truly respect MS’s durability, which is one of his best qualities. He was able to use one leg last year after having it cleaned, and he has a great desire to recover and return. When the players witness his hard effort and the skills he still possesses, it spreads to them and inspires them.
But we truly respect MS’s durability, which is one of his best qualities. He was able to use one leg last year after having it cleaned, and he has a great desire to recover and return. When the players witness his hard effort and the skills he still possesses, it spreads to them and inspires them. He has an excellent mind. He continues to be adamant about contributing to the team and is hitting the ball well in the nets. And that’s all I can ask, along with his teammates doing the same.”
Dhoni was the one who suggested the change in captaincy, and although he has a lengthy history of making decisions based only on instinct—the most well-known instance occurring at 114 for 3 on April 2, 2011—both the team and he would not have taken this one lightly. Particularly considering that their previous attempt at it didn’t work out. The issue with beating Dhoni is that you’re not only beating a guy; you’re beating an emotion, an occurrence. One of the finest players to have ever played the game, Dhoni, a cult figure and World Cup winner, had faith in you when he did. You played differently as a result of that.
Thus, CSK needs to prepare for a difficult short period of time as this change, like the majority of others of its kind, will be painful. They will want to shield their new captain, to make sure that they support him and his vision even though the outside world would hold him to an unattainable standard. They appear to be more equipped for it. Fleming is joking around already.
“Tears were streaming down every which way. “Everyone was crying,” he remarked, using the occasion to display his sardonic sense of humor. Yes, it was normally quite low-key. rather subdued. And naturally, this sparked some jubilation for Ruturaj and his opportunity. The players took it well, then. Although there is usually some initial shock, compared to two years ago, we are far more used to this period of time. And the players took it just as well as the captain—er, former captain—managed telling the team about it.”
It’s going to keep occurring, that tiny slip of the tongue where Fleming had to call Dhoni captain before correcting himself.