in the modern period, MS Dhoni is the one who is recognized as the finest to have ever captained the Indian team in the list of numerous outstanding players who have held positions of leadership in the Indian cricket team.
Fans love him for his demeanor and the intelligence with which he plays the game in addition to the fact that he helped the team win three ICC trophies. When it comes to leadership and inspiring teammates, even Team India’s former captains are fervent fans of Dhoni.
One of them is Ravi Shastri who has watched Dhoni from closed quarters as a manager and then, as the head coach of Team India. In a recent conversation on Star Sports, a fan asked Shastri if he can play IPL then whose captaincy would he like to play under?
“Mazaa aayega Dhoni ki captaincy mein khelna (Playing under Dhoni’s captaincy would be fun). His record as a captain forces you to put him right up,” said Ravi Shastri.
MS Dhoni is considered to be one of the greatest captains the cricketing world has seen, as under his leadership, India won all three major white-ball trophies- T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
He Asked Me About MS Dhoni And I Said, ‘This Guy Has The Leadership Quality’: Ravi Shastri
MS Dhoni captained India in 60 Tests, 200 ODIs and 72 T20Is from 2007-2017. Under his direction, India also became the top-ranked nation in Test matches for the first time.
The former India head coach, who had also led the Indian team during his playing days, recalled how Dhoni was preferred as the next Indian captain back in 2007.
“Coolness is one thing but the way he reads and understands the game is terrific. I remember when I was a manager in 2007 and Dilip Vengsarkar was the selector. Rahul Dravid was injured in a practice session at the Eden Gardens, we were speaking and MS Dhoni’s name popped up. He asked me and I said, ‘This guy has the leadership quality’,” Shastri said.
“It didn’t take long and Dilip was on the same page. Dilip was an ideal selector at that time and he to had felt that this guy has got it in him. So what he [Vengsarkar] was seeing was not just coolness but the ability to read the game, street-smart ability, personality, character… all these things come into play when you are looking for a good captain,” he added.
MS Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020.