What MSD Can Teach

Being the captain of the Indian Cricket Team is no picnic. As the captain of Team India, one carries on his shoulders the Himalayan weight of a billion people’s expectations. In the past, only very few Indian players could handle this job effectively. And leave alone improving the team’s performance, some of them saw even their own performance deteriorate. Instances include the likes of Gavaskar, Azharuddin, Tendulkar and Dravid.
But change is constant and there are always exceptions. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one such exception. The man has broken the jinx which had infected the indian captaincy for ages. Not only has he led India to two Cricket World Cup victories and the Number One Test Ranking in International cricket but Dhoni himself is considered to be one of the world’s best batsmen.
What are the lessons that we can learn from him?
Firstly, Dhoni has the advantage of being acceptable and relatable to all class of players in the team. He doesn’t carry with him that air of self-importance. He appears like one of the boys on the ground. The junior and young members of the squad can relate with him. Moreover, the seniors do not find him domineering. Dhoni gives them the respect they deserve.
Secondly, Dhoni shares. When the 20-20 World Cup was won, you didn’t see Dhoni on the top of India’s victory wagon which traveled across Mumbai with the whole city after it. He let the boys have the fun. When the Border-Gavasker Trophy was won by India in the year 2008, Dhoni asked Kumble to come forward and share the trophy with him. Despite the fact that Kumble had retired in the previous test itself. In the final five overs of the test, he gave Ganguly, who was playing his last international match, the reigns of captaincy.
And thirdly, Dhoni’s adaptability. He was known to be a pinch-hitter. But after donning the captain’s hat, Dhoni has become a much more dependable batsman. Because of this sensible cricket, he has even been crowned as the number one batsman in the International ODI Ranking several times.
Clearly, this man has a lot to teach!

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