Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s cricketing career might be crawling towards a dead end, but it has been nothing short of a fairytale. A rollercoaster ride from the very start, Dhoni’s career took a significant leap after he took up the responsibility of being the India captain.
With all the ingredients of being successful as a captain, MS Dhoni won all the mega ICC events including two cricket World Cups in his illustrious tenure. The boy from Ranchi was destined to become one of the most celebrated leaders in the cricket history.
However, former India cricketer and an active commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised the habit of the fans to protect a superstar like Dhoni from criticism.
“It’s in our DNA in India, isn’t it? We do not just make icons of our sporting heroes; we also give them God-like status. But since we already have one God in cricket, Dhoni, I guess, will have to be something else,” wrote Manjrekar in his column for Cricinfo.
“Dhoni is a public performer, and just his public performance, not his personal life, is under scrutiny here. Once you are a public performer, it does not matter what the critic’s standing in society or cricket is. That’s irrelevant,” he added.
While Dhoni continues to be an absolute asset for team India with his match-winning knocks, his fitness has been questioned a lot lately. The veteran’s ability to run between the wickets at lightning speed and rotate strike is not the same anymore. Not only Manjrekar but former Indian heavyweights like Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman have also pointed fingers at the inventor of the iconic helicopter shot.
“I still feel it’s time for MS Dhoni to give youngsters a chance in T20 format. It will be an opportunity for a youngster to blossom and get confidence playing international cricket. He is definitely an integral part of ODI cricket,” Laxman had said analysing Dhoni’s condition in a post-match cricket show.
Sourav Ganguly also joined the party when he circled out Dhoni’s lack of significant scores in T20 cricket.
“I am not too sure if Dhoni is a good T20 player. He is a champion ODI player but when it comes to T20 cricket, in 10 years, he has got one fifty, and that’s not the best record. So that’s an area which needs to be looked at.” Ganguly had said.
Sanjay Manjrekar believes a player should always be judged on his current form and not the stardom or popularity he has gained over the years.
“Reputation or status of a player should never be a factor in selection. The criteria must be the same for each player. Of course, past performance and quality are factors because great players can do special things, but while picking players, I would consider, apart from skills and fitness, how good they are as team players, their potential to contribute consistently, and what they can grow into.”
“But somehow in India, once a player achieves the status of an icon, only good things are allowed to be said about him, and people are crucified if what they say comes across as anything less than a compliment,” he concluded.