No truer words have been said about how the fans have felt ever since Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket. With his last run out on 10th July, 2019 and his complete withdrawal from cricket on 15th August, 2020, the world came to a standstill as millions watched with bated breath, only hoping to be told otherwise by the umpire. But as Mr. Dhoni himself said, “Till the full stop doesn’t come, the sentence is not complete.”
Level-headedness and dedication are true virtues of a leader who can possibly take his team to greater heights and victory. Dhoni, during his captainship raised the bar of true sportsmanship for himself as well as his team. Such qualities have inspired younger cricketers in performing seamlessly and have gained appreciation of experienced sportspersons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Ian Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar to name a few.
Hearing something such as “Dhoni hai, sambhal lega”, shows how the whole nation blindly confided in him right until the last ball where winning seemed uncertain. While many cricketers fear being run out by the stump, Dhoni has not only proved iconic in his technique while playing in front of the stump but as well as while wicket keeping behind the stump.
While being held so high in regard increases the fans' expectations, sometimes an unexpected defeat may cause a certain backlash. But Mr. MS Dhoni, being the Captain Cool that he is, took the fans’ heightened emotions gracefully and bounced back despite of being criticised.
Amongst all his achievements, there were many milestones and laureates that he earned such as The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2007), The Padma Shri (2009), The Padma Bhushan (2018). The Indian cricket team, under his captainship won the 2010 and 2016 Asia Cups, 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. Chennai Super Kings won the Indian Premier League titles for the years 2010, 2011 and 2018 with Dhoni as the captain.
Confidence has remained a core aspect of his demeanour. From his DRS’s on field to subtle nuances, he has brought in something new to appreciate each time he has been on field.
Each person has an untold story, a story that shapes them into the person as we know them. The movie “M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story” brought forth that side of him which millions of us weren’t previously aware of. The struggles, the hardships and the events that took place in his life before he began his journey as a cricket player are showcased wonderfully in this movie. This cinematic representation of Dhoni's unknown past made it palatable for the audience to grasp and also portrayed him in a different light.
MS Dhoni announced his retirement on 15th August, 2020 at 7:29 PM IST, which is pretty ironic since he also walked out of the field for the last time that he played in the World Cup Semi-finals at the same time, 7:29 PM IST.
A man of decisions and discipline, dedicated and dynamic, he has marked his place in Indian cricket and in the hearts of cricket lovers.
We will truly miss the adrenaline rush as we wait for the ball to land at the boundary while Dhoni has already walked towards the stumps to pick one up.
With a total of 538 appearances, 17,226 runs, 16 centuries, 108 half centuries and 829 dismissals from behind the stumps, he marked a final full stop on his international cricket career.
The due credits for such interesting and everlasting moments go to the man himself, Mr. Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
- Rashi Yadav (Guest Writer | SYNC President 2020-21)
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