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SPORTS JANUARY 03, 2025 | The Indian Eye 43

RAVICHANDRA ASHWIN

The importance of Being Dhoni: ex-Indian

spinner reveals what sets the keeper apart

As a captain, Dhoni led India in 60 Test matches, out of which they won 27 matches, lost 18
and drew 15. With a win percentage of 45.00, he is one of India’s most successful skippers

across all eras. He led Team India to the number one ranking in the ICC Test Rankings

OUR BUREAU
Chennai
avichandran Ashwin simply put the char-
acteristic in the light, which sets the iconic
RMS Dhoni apart as a captain from the rest.
Dhoni, considered among the top captains that
grace the field, hung down his boots after lifting ev-
ery trophy he laid his eyes on.
In 2007, Dhoni turned a young Indian side into
T20 World Cup champions in the tournament’s in-
augural edition. Four years later, he became the
first captain to inspire India to an ODI World Cup
title since the Kapil Dev-led 1983 World Cup-win-
ning team.

In 2013, when the odds were stacked
against the Indian side, Dhoni captained

the Indian team to the ICC Champions Tro-
phy with immeasurable calmness.

As the duo prepare to reunite at the Chen-
nai Super Kings in IPL 2025, Ashwin emphasised
Dhoni’s simplicity of sticking to the basics makes
him different from others. In IPL 2023, when Dhoni captained Chennai Super Kings to a record fifth title, he used Tushar Deshpande
“It is a very simple question to answer. In my
head, I think he does most of the basic things right, to spearhead the pace attack (ANI)
and most of the other captains miss the basic ele-
mentary things, which makes the game look much people have forgotten the basics,” Ashwin added. can get in a very small set of goals,” he said.
more difficult for them,” Ashwin said while speak- In IPL 2023, when Dhoni captained Chennai As a captain, Dhoni led India in 60 Test match-
ing about Dhoni’s captaincy on Sky Sports Cricket Super Kings to a record fifth title, he used Tushar es, out of which they won 27 matches, lost 18 and
podcast. Deshpande to spearhead the pace attack. drew 15. With a win percentage of 45.00, he is one
Ashwin narrated an example to outline the free- In 16 matches, Tushar emerged as one of the of India’s most successful skippers across all eras.
dom with which Dhoni allowed his bowlers to ex- leading wicket-takers in the cash-rich league with He led Team India to the number one ranking in
press themselves but left no room for complacency. 21 scalps to his name. Ashwin highlighted the sim- the ICC Test Rankings.
“He would never, for example, give the bowler ple reason hidden in the shadows behind Desh- He is also the only Indian skipper to white-
the ball. The first thing he would say is to take your pande’s success under Dhoni’s captaincy. wash Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,
field and bowl to the field. He hated the fact when “There are certain facets of the game that doing so in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 series.
a batter came to bat and you gave a loose deliv- don’t change, and MS Dhoni keeps it simple on In the ODI format, which is considered to be
ery, he wouldn’t take me off bowling. If I gave two those accounts. Last year in IPL, he got Tushar Dhoni’s forte, the explosive wicketkeeper batter
three boundaries in an over, that is well earned,” Deshpande, and he got the best out of him. I know led India in 200 matches. Under his captaincy,
Ashwin continued. what exactly MS Dhoni would have told him. He India stood victorious in 110 matches, lost 74 and
“If I gave a new batter a ball to cut or drive, he would have told him to get hit on the longer side of drew five, forming a 55 per cent win percentage.
would be livid. He would make me feel my place, the boundary and give me two runs less than you In T20Is, Dhoni captained India in 74 matches
and he would take me off bowling. That is a very gave last year. That does two things to the bowler. and guided the Men in Blue to 41 victories with a
basic essence of cricket. Over the years, I realised It relieves the pressure, and it makes him think I win percentage of 58.33 per cent.

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