There are times in an individual’s life when he or she sacrifices something to ensure the loved ones around them don’t suffer. There are rare times when an individual wants to be blamed for failures but never takes credit for success. There is also an individual who does all these things as part of his job and gets judged by a 1/6th of world’s population. This individual is Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Anyone who makes a decision to walk out in front of 30,000 screaming fans in a stadium and a further billion TV viewers knowing failure could mean torture for the rest of his life by a billion people is simply a champion. For Dhoni it is not courage or bravery but simply making an astute decision. It is all too natural that he continues to put his head on the line before the whole team. In front of a whole nation. This was definitely a decision that will stand out in front of all people in the World Cup final in April. Along the way are small decisions that shape the biggest decisions that define leadership but there are also small incidents that mark a true leader.
This small incident occurred on the last ball of the 49th over in the 3rd ODI vs England, played at Mohali. India required 8 off the 7 balls and Dhoni took strike. Most people, even if the ball was in the slot, would have despatched it but not Dhoni, he calmly took the single to ensure he was on strike for the penultimate over. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Jadeja to hit the runs; it was because Mahi wanted to take the pressure himself. He knew if he failed the blame should solely be on him, rather than on the young man on the other side still settling in to tri colours.
From the outside, few people notice these exceptional sides of a leadership but there is no doubt that his players are aware of it. No wonder they love playing for him because, despite a failure, he will back them and he ensures them plenty of opportunity. All this is justified in the way team selections have gone since Dhoni took over the captaincy. Every player who has trialled has been given plenty of chances, unlike in the past. This is because Dhoni understands it takes time to settle in the Indian time; he keeps mentioning youngsters need to be given a good chance. With such a practical mind he has gained respect of the once-in-a- generation cricketers such as Dravid and Tendulkar.
Dhoni has his own style: he won’t yell and scream and show emotions on the field but deep down he has self
belief to handle the pressure and the conditions. Throughout the innings in the 3 ODI against England at Mohali, he kept talking to Kholi and jadeja to let them know what was expected. You could read his lips, as he kept mentioning: “yaha don waha ek sa hi hojayega”, meaning “single here and two there will do the job”. Those words define the man who is a practical student of the game.
Dhoni might still be learning his trade of captaincy in overseas conditions in the longer format but he is the best ODI captain. Dhoni certainly didn’t need to read books like The Art of Captaincy by Mike Brearley; he has worked it out on the field just as he would have figured out how to bat in Ranchi.
In the modern game, where different captains are chosen for different formats, Dhoni has stayed at the top job in each format. Not only has he had the top job but he achieved rewards by captaining India to the top at each of three formats.
Unlike captains in the past, he never complains about the ridiculous scheduling, injuries or foreign playing conditions. Mahi simply says; “it’s part and parcel of the modern game and we need to adapt.” There is always a side of compromise in Dhoni that is hidden
Tendulkar was already a legend when he was 21 and David at 30, but they were legends on an individual level to some extent; Dhoni is a legend at a team level already. So forget naming a stand after Mahi at the new stadium in Ranchi – just call it Mahrendra Singh Dhoni Stadium. To put it simply, this man deserves all the accolades. From a town like Ranchi he comes to lead the legends of cricket. There is something special about this man.
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