Cricket they say is a religion and fans have many Gods. But MS Dhoni was no God, he worshiped cricket as his own God. He innovated, had his way and approach. He helped Indian cricket go from peak to another pinnacle. What is it that made him special? Ive listed 7 areas, according to me, that made his approach stronger:
Calmness : It wont take a sport psychologist to tell you this but, his demeanour made the team look calm. This reflected his mindset, throughout his career- On and Off Field.
Patience: He waited to perform at the right time. He waited to help the team win that World Cup at the right time. He was determined even in his ability to be patient.
Prompt Decision making: You can never forget him giving the ball to Joginder Sharma in that last over of 2007 T20WC and everyone going "Kya kar raha hai yaar?""What is he doing, mate?" but 6 balls later, his decision making was never questioned.
Persistence: He was persistent in his attitude. That helped him become a strong captain, WC and a batsman who performed when it mattered.
Servant leader: He led to serve his team, country. Never abused him being at an authoritative position. At least it wasnt seen. He listened to the Team. He took them to the pinnacles together.
Quality over Quantity : The runs may not have been as strong as a Kohli or a Tendulkar but whenever he played, he delivered. Which is what matters in sports. You cannot have 50s and 100s always. Even if you scored a 10, if its in 3 balls, people will still remember that knock, because it matters then.
Self-Awareness: The most important element of MSD was his awareness, he knew what to do when on field- both while fielding and while batting. Never a rash shot, whenever there was a helicopter shot, it was for a reason.
So with these 7 crisp learnings from MSD, I feel like watching some of his best knocks to relive his legacy.
And I also wouldn't mind watching MS Dhoni the movie, for the 2nd time in these two months :)