I have no regrets with my 10 years as captain: Dhoni
PUNE: MS Dhoni is not your average cricketer. He isn’t your average person either. Perhaps that is what sets him apart from contemporaries, especially regarding captaincy. Love or hate him, you cannot deny the fact that he has been the most influential man over the past decade in helping Indian cricket become what it is today. That is why his decision to step down as limited-over skipper last week surprised many.
in Pune on Friday | PTI
A journey that started in Ranchi, a city that has now become synonymous with its most famous and favourite son, has seen ups and downs. The 2007 World Cup was bad (although he wasn’t the captain), and so were consecutive 4-0 Test series losses in England and Australia.
But with Dhoni, there are no regrets. “I have no regrets when it comes to my almost 10 years as captain. I don’t live with regrets, and like to look ahead. It’s been a brilliant journey so far, and I’ve enjoyed every moment of leading my nation,” said Dhoni in his first appearance in front of the media since his decision to step down as captain.
The 35-year-old has always been a man who spoke his mind, and his unusual yet sensible way of thinking reflected on his captaincy as well. And that was on display again on Friday, when Dhoni revealed that the seeds to step down as limited-over skipper had been sown as soon as he retired from Tests — hence stepping down as skipper — back in 2014. And it was the South Africa ODI series in 2015, which the hosts lost 2-3, that helped make up his mind.
“I knew as soon as I quit Tests that Virat should eventually lead India in all formats. My opinion is that split captaincy won’t work in Indian cricket, with the kind of setup we have. That was always there in the back of my mind. And during the South Africa series, I realised that Virat was ready to take up the mantle as skipper across formats, and I made my decision clear to the BCCI later on,” he opined.
The mood around the Indian camp doesn’t seem to have been affected by his decision. But they’ll surely be raring to win this series with him as a regular starter, while also starting off Kohli’s reign on a positive note. And all that starts against England in the first of three ODIs here on Sunday. The Indians have a strong recent record against England, winning four of the seven ODI series since 2000, and Dhoni is confident this team has the potential to become the best.
“With the kind of blokes forming the core of the group, and the bench strength we have, I’m sure this side can become the best-ever from India. The biggest positive for me is the fast bowling stocks. We have such a wide pool now that even if two pacers are injured, we’ve two more waiting in the wings, two who are equally capable of performing to the required standards. God forbidding any injuries that is,” noted the Jharkhand talisman.
Humour has always been his strong point, and it was on display once again when asked what he won’t miss about being captain. “Press conferences! Captains have to attend too many of those, and that always irked me. Maybe if some player is made to do the pre-match presser, it’ll be good for him as well as the captain, who can always come after the match and give his views, as that’s when he has things to say,” India’s most successful captain concluded.
raviiyer@newindianexpress.com