Javagal Srinath, who is a former Indian fast bowling legend recalled the first time he met with former skipper MS Dhoni, who recently retired from international cricket. After Javagal Srinath had announced his retirement from the sport back in 2003, he met Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
MS Dhoni was a member of the India A team that was scheduled to play a triangular series against Pakistan and Kenya. In a recent interaction with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, he recalled how MS Dhoni-led India A team to win in every league games single-handed and hit bowlers all around the ground.
Javagal Srinath Met MS Dhoni In 2003 Triangular Series In Kenya
India A lost their first league match to Kenya but went on to beat Pakistan A by four wickets, 121 runs and six wickets respectively in the three league matches besides beating Kenya by ten wickets and six wickets in the remaining two league matches. India A won the final against Pakistan A by six wickets.
“My first meeting with Dhoni was in 2003 post my career in Kenya. There was a triangular series between Kenya, India and Pakistan; in all the three league games all the way to the finals Dhoni won it single handedly,” Srinath told Ravichandran Ashwin on his chat show DRS with Ash.
”At the end of it, the way he disdainfully played the spinners and fast bowlers as if he was playing school cricket,” the former fast bowler further added.
MS Dhoni, the skipper of India A scored 70, 120 and 119 against Pakistan A in the three league matches and led the team captained by Sairaj Bahutule and comprising of Gautam Gambhir, Ambati Rayudu, Venugopal Rao to name a few all the way to finals which was won by India A by six wickets.
Javagal Srinath Says MS Dhoni Is Like A Yogi
Javagal Srinath describes MS Dhoni as a yogi who is detached to results besides maintaining calm composure and body language when the team is struggling.
“MS Dhoni is a yogi in cricket. The way he has understood the game, his detachment to results. The way he speaks and conducts himself and on every victory, he holds the cup, the most prized cups, he hands it to someone else and walks away,” Srinath said.
”When he looks into all these things, when things are not going well on the pitch and the team is struggling, his composure and body language as if nothing has happened, he can only be a yogi to be such a wonderful cricketer,” he further added.
MS Dhoni, who announced his international retirement last month on Independence Day will return to play for CSK in the upcoming edition of IPL which kicks off from September 19th, 2020.