Deep within, Dhoni is much like Virat Kohli
For most of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reign, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was run by N Srinivasan, known to be someone who preferred to keep the media at an arm's length. And Dhoni, being Srinivasan's blue-eyed boy, invariably toed the chief's line. Every time the media asked him questions that were slightly uncomfortable, he would habitually duck them.
But with a change in the regime, it seems Dhoni too is now open to speaking his mind, rather than being politically correct or press the silent button. So when he started a media interaction in the capital on February 15, he clearly said that he wanted to speak his mind and not worry so much about being politically correct.
And while he made headlines by making it clear that his heart still bleeds for Chennai Super Kings - suspended from participating in the Indian Premier League for two years by the Lodha Committee - what made for interesting reading is his decision to come out in the open and accept that the cash-rich league has earned a bad name over the years, thanks to certain corrupt practices like spot-fixing.
The BCCI is now more forthcoming and likes to work closely with the media. And so, it came as no surprise that the same Dhoni who had after the sixth edition of the IPL - when the fixing fiasco broke out - maintained that he would speak at the right time, decided to accept that the image of the lucrative T20 league had taken a beating post the fixing fiasco. This was the first time any cricketer had openly spoken about the issue and who better than the man with the Midas touch. But Dhoni was quick to add that the IPL wasn't all about negativity.
He felt that the same tournament also provided young domestic players an opportunity to impress and knock on the doors of the selectors for a national callup. And the best example of the positives of the IPL in recent times would be Sarfaraz Khan.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore player took the recently concluded ICC U-19 World Cup by storm, scoring 355 runs from six games with five 50s. More than the runs, it was the various situations in the tournament where he single-handedly steered the team out of pressure situations that showed that he was a player who very well knew how to handle pressure. And this is majorly due to his tryst with the top-flight players in the IPL.
Coming back to Dhoni and his decision to finally speak his mind, it was interesting to note that beneath that image of a cool and composed customer, Dhoni too is just like any other human being. He made no bones about the fact that after eight years with the Chennai franchise, he would definitely miss the team this year. While he was quick to add that as a professional he is expected to give his 100 per cent and win Pune the trophy this season, he will miss sharing the dressing room with some of his old mates at Chennai Super Kings.
The man who has time and again shown minimal emotion after a win or a loss, Dhoni told the media after the T20 series win against Sri Lanka that the players needed to continue performing consistently if they wanted to win the ICC World T20 - starting in India in March. This clearly shows that deep within Dhoni too, just like Virat Kohli, plays to win, and he is as emotional about victory as any other player in the team.
As the limited overs skipper of India's cricket team - a sport worshipped in the country - Dhoni's decision to finally do away with his habit of being politically correct is a welcome sign.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)