MS Dhoni , an extract from my latest book Cricket India: Tales Untold

In 2004 the BCCI began a system by which young talented cricketers around the country would be identified and short-listed for further training. The idea germinated from the fertile brain of Makarand Waingankar, the highly conscientious freelance journalist from Mumbai.

Former senior first-class cricketers PC Poddar and I travelled to Jamshedpur to watch the players in action in the one-day senior inter-state championship in January 2004.

At the end of the first day’s match, while discussing cricket, Poddar blurted out, “Today I saw a man hitting the ball with awesome power. Never before have I seen anybody with such immense power in his strokes.” Coming from a man of Poddar’s deep knowledge and wide experience, I was extremely keen to have a good look. Poddar added, “Tomorrow you would be watching the Bihar match. Have a good look at the opener with long hair.”

 Next morning, as I alighted from the taxi near the Keenan Stadium pavilion gate, I found a motor-cycle screech to a halt a few metres away. A well-built lad in his mid-20s wearing a tight t-shirt and denims parked his vehicle. Instantly two pariah dogs came towards him and he brought out some biscuits from his pocket to feed them. The speeding bike, the long flowing hair style, the bulging biceps all mitigated against the sensitive care that he took to show his affection for the road-side canines.

When I asked the Bihar coach if he was the opener who hit the ball very hard, he  replied, “In my Bihar team everybody hits the ball hard. But this boy from Ranchi is an exceptionally hard hitter. He is actually a wicket-keeper/batsman, playing first-class cricket for about 4 years. No one has ever taken any notice of him yet. Why are you so keen to know about him?” By the end of the day, when he had scored just about 40 odd, I realized that I had seen an uncut diamond.

That evening both Poddar and I exchanged notes. We decided to send our report to the chief Talent Resource Development Officer (TRDO), Dilip Vengsarkar, specially mentioning the batting ability and the exceptional power of the young man’s strokes. As it transpired, the responsible people at the BCCI took serious note of the report and the career graph of a young talent from a neglected corner of India took an upward curve.

By the end of the very year – 2004 – MS Dhoni was playing for India and had done enough to cement his place. Other wicket-keepers, who hailed from favoured provinces and were being played in the national team by turns and on whims, were now vying for the reserve stumper’s post. A new star had risen on the horizon.

Dhoni’s career graph is a unique case in Indian cricket. Hailing from a family of very modest financial background, he had little option but to accept whatever job came his way. The Indian Railways gave him a job based at Kharagpur at the border of Bengal and Orissa but, true to tradition, decided that a man from the eastern region would not be good enough for the all-India Railways cricket team!

Since Dhoni was based at Kharagpur, which happens to be in West Bengal, he was very much qualified to represent Bengal in national championships. Where were the Bengal selectors – all former test and first-class cricketers – at the time? Their job was to select the best of talent residing in Bengal. Were they doing their job?

He kept his ears and eyes open in the India dressing room to observe what Tendulkar and Dravid were doing to prepare themselves for the battles ahead. Off the field, his cool and composed personality was the just right ingredient required for a person craving to learn the ways of the world.

During an IPL match, as match referee I requested the Chennai Super King skipper Dhoni to call very loudly at the toss because the extremely high decibel music from the stands could plug one’s ears. Dhoni, true to his impeccable manners, said, “Do not worry, sir. I will call ‘tails’.” He was, it goes without saying, true to his promise.

Reams have been devoted to his exceptional abilities. I shall not repeat those to bore my readers. But I would like to relate that never before have we had a leader in India as exemplary as the man from Ranchi. He led India to the inaugural T20 world cup trophy with all the top names dropping out of the team for one reason or other! A young set of keen lads helped the relaxed captain to bring off one victory after another.

 Before leading India, did MS Dhoni ever lead a cricket team?  Perhaps his school team. But, even then, I doubt it. Because he was first and foremost a football goalkeeper. It was only when his school coach, Keshav Ranjan Banerjee, asked him to become the school keeper, did he pick up the wicket-keeping gloves. Surely you do not give the captaincy to a replacement player? Dhoni had no experience of captaincy; no grooming at all. It seemed he did not need any. Players instinctively followed him for his sterling qualities of character. A distinct sign of a born, natural leader of men.

With not a single god-father, the magnificent man went on lead India to all sorts of trophies. No other Indian captain has been able to match his statistical highlights. In fact, has any other captain from any country been able to hold all the three trophies at the same time?

Despite such magnificent achievements, the cool and composed man still remains as modest and accessible as he was nearly two decades back when he was making his debut in first-class cricket for Bihar. Far from stooping to gamesmanship, he was the epitome of the ‘spirit of cricket’ concept. His classic calling back of Ian Bell in England will forever remain a great lesson in sportsmanship. He even allowed a re-toss after having won the first toss in a world cup final. A sage, no less.

Never took advantage of his position. He could have promoted players of his choice or his State but never did. He respected the selectors and allowed them to do their job. Never got involved with any publicity stunts. Never bothered to get into conflicts and controversies. Detested sledging and avoided verbal duels. Never resorted to any kind of one-upmanship. He was and still remains a champion in the truest sense of the word.

His persona was and still is such that people consider him to be the leader, whether he is leading the team or not. He gave up his Test position so that Wriddhiman Saha could come in. He did it in style and in isolation. Did not create any hullaballoo about it. How many men, dear reader, you know who has given up the India captaincy voluntarily without any pressure? None till Dhoni showed us the way. A neglected man from an obscure corner showed the so-called educated Indians what actual magnanimity was all about. It was only because of his generosity that the crown prince Virat Kohli could be gradually groomed for the leadership seat.

It is to the great credit of Virat Kohli that he has shown the highest possible respect to his benefactor. In the dressing room, Dhoni in his quiet and low-profile manner is still a great influence on other cricketers. Just as chief coach Ravi Shastri and the captain Kohli readily admit Dhoni’s reassuring presence, every young player makes a beeline for his guidance.

After being out of the captaincy throne, no other India captain has earned the respect and affection of his peers as Dhoni has. This shows the man’s actual worth. Even when not in the any seat of power his considerable aura pervades every nook and corner of Indian cricket. People from all walks of life revere the man for what he is. The media flocks to him. The sponsors crowd around him. Powerful politicians want to shake hands with him. Film stars have been known to be photographed with him. He does not, and never did, go out to seek publicity or power; fame or fortune. Everything comes to him because he deserves it.

When not actively involved with the national team, Dhoni still finds the time to be with his Jharkhand players at the ground. He does not need any official appellation, but he becomes everyone’s mentor. His accessibility, his easy manner, his ready smile are not artificial at all. Spontaneous, modest, sincere, honest that is what he was and, thankfully, still remains so.

No fiction writer would ever have conceived the rise and rise of Dhoni to fame and fortune. He was nowhere on the radar in early 2004 before two talent spotters strongly recommended his name to their chief. Thankfully the India ‘A’ selectors had a close look and realized his potential.

Without wasting time they put the 23-year old, as the reserve wicket-keeper, on the plane to Kenya and Zimbabwe with the India ‘A’ team in mid 2004. With the main wicket-keeper Dinesh Kartik ‘called’ to England with the India ODI team, the reserve wicket-keeper of India ‘A’ got the scope to exhibit his potential.

By the end of the year the name of MS Dhoni was an obvious choice for the national team heading for Bangladesh. A man, who was ignored by all concerned people for four years, suddenly became the cynosure of all eyes within four months!

Which fiction writer would dare to pen such lines? No wonder it is said that truth is stranger than fiction.