The year was 2007 and the ICC World Cup was about to be held in the West Indies for the first and the only time so far. Back in India, the focus was on Team India’s second foreign coach and one of his senior wards. Sourav Ganguly’s struggle to find a place back in the team after being ‘Chappeled’ out was perhaps greater than the one he had to endure during his five-year hiatus from the national side after making his debut in 1991.
Sourav Ganguly the captain had always kept the journalists interested for he didn’t mind being candid and speaking his heart out, unlike many of his predecessors and successors who chose to tread the more diplomatic and ‘safer’ path. He was no longer the captain, but his heroic comeback and terrific form topped any discussion surrounding Indian cricket at that point and he had believed that India were one of the favourites to lift the trophy in the Caribbean. The team, he thought, was stronger than the one which he had led to the final four years earlier, and when a television journalist asked him what he thought was the real difference between the two teams, Dada was clear in his reply. “Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he is the difference”, he said.
Plagued by issues ranging from logistics to the mysterious death of Bob Woolmer, the World Cup in the West Indies was a forgettable one, and the final, which ended amidst chaos and confusion, summed up the tournament! Contrary to expectations, India crashed out of the tournament in the first round and the boy from Jharkhand with long locks failed to make an impact.
After a forgettable first half, the second half of 2007 witnessed a renaissance in Indian cricket. Greg Chappel was gone and Team India's fortunes started to change when Rahul Dravid led the team to a Test series win in England after 21 years! Then came the World T20 triumph in South Africa which triggered the next revolution in Indian cricket and in the centre of it all was someone who many thought was a surprise choice for the captaincy, M.S. Dhoni. The subsequent four years could be termed as one of the golden periods of Indian cricket which culminated in India winning the 50-over World Cup in 2011. For most part of that period, Dhoni led India in all three formats.
The speculation in our country regarding a cricketer’s retirement when he approaches his mid-thirties is often funny and annoying. Dhoni’s retirement has been a topic of speculation even more than Narendra Modi’s second term as the Indian Prime Minister! Yes, his batting isn’t the same as it used to be, and his omission from the squad for a series or two in between acted as a catalyst to the speculation. But the man, like his captaincy, dealt with it all in his own inimitable style―giving nothing away. From keeping quiet and offering a sarcastic smile to inviting a foreign journalist on to the stage who asked him about his retirement, Dhoni offered various shots to the same question hurled at him at various times. One’s occupation can be someone else’s source of annoyance! Some serious questions have been asked of him in the last couple of years and his equanimity has been commendable. His batting reflexes had started to slow down, his status as a ‘finisher’ was under the scanner and an average outing with the Pune franchise given his otherwise lofty IPL standards didn’t help either. But as always, Dhoni kept a Nero-like calm and is a vital cog in India’s World Cup wheel.
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One has always been intrigued by the man and his fairy-tale transition from being a ticket collector to a trophy collector. Dhoni has been unfathomable at most times, like a puzzle almost. Does he ever come under pressure? May be he does, but he manages to conceal it and if there is any visible sign of him being under pressure, it’s only his grey hair! Many see Dhoni as a product of serendipity and good timing. Yes, he was perhaps at the right place at the right time, but he owes a good chunk of his success to his unusual mind.
I have often felt that Dhoni is a chess player on a cricket field. Such is his level-headedness and composure. How does he manage it even when everything around him seems to fall apart? May be, he treats cricket just as a sport and nothing more and that works! That also explains his balanced reactions to victories and failures alike. That space between his two years will be a vital one for Team India when they stride out in England looking for their third 50-over world title.
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So, what can we expect from the man this World Cup? He never possessed the batting technique required at the international level and with his reflexes slowing down with age, the helicopter taking off is likely to be a rare sight. But make no mistake, Dhoni is a very important part of this Indian batting line-up and we are likely to see him play a crucial role with the bat in a few games. He has been as sharp as ever behind the stumps with lightning quick reflexes and is still India’s best wicket-keeper. He has reportedly switched from ‘butter chicken masala’ to ‘grilled chicken’ and it shows he is probably watching his fitness more than ever before. But it’s his leadership experience and timely suggestions that Kohli would consider priceless in a competition like this. If we see Kohli tossing the ball to a Joginder Sharma equivalent in a tight last over, it might well be Dhoni behind the decision.
Dhoni doesn’t play in this World Cup as a ‘great’ running on a charitable extension of his tenure to retire on cricket’s biggest platform but as an all-rounder of immense value. So, will he go after the World Cup? He may or may not, and when he does go, it is almost certain to be a non-affair, like his Test retirement. It will be in his own way, the ‘Mahi way’!
Sreeduth is a sports broadcaster, management consultant, quiz show host, columnist and a noted percussionist as well.