The only captain to win every single limited overs ICC trophy, alongside five IPL titles, Mahendra Singh Dhoni turns 42 today. Even though he is no longer a part of Team India, Dhoni is still going strong with the Chennai Super Kings, where his legend grows by the day. As MSD turns a year older (and even wiser!) My Kolkata looks back at seven genius decisions from India’s favourite No. 7
Photos: Getty Images
Reposing faith in Rahane: CSK picked up Ajinkya Rahane for his base price of Rs 50 lakh at the 2023 IPL auction, despite Rahane scoring only 254 runs from 18 games in the IPL between 2020 and 2022. Dropped from India’s Test squad, it seemed as if Rahane’s international career was over. But Dhoni had other ideas. Not only did Dhoni back Rahane into securing a place in the starting XI, but he also gave the Mumbaikar the chance to bat at number three for Chennai in the uncharacteristic role of a pinch-hitter. The move paid off handsomely, with Rahane accumulating 326 runs at a strike rate of 172.49, as CSK secured their fifth IPL title. Soon enough, Rahane was back in India colours and will now be going to the West Indies as the Test team’s vice-captain
Urging Ishant to bowl short: With a day and a half of cricket left to be played in the second Test of India’s tour of England in 2014, the hosts needed 319 runs to win at Lord’s. Ishant Sharma had already removed Alastair Cook and Ian Bell on Day 4, before producing his most memorable spell on the final day. With Dhoni setting a field for a barrage of short balls, Ishant, initially reluctant, dug deep into his arsenal and unleashed one bouncer after another. India’s new-age bodyline tactic worked wonders, as no less than five English batters perished to the short ball. Ishant finished with career-best figures of seven for 74 as India scripted a historic triumph at the Home of Cricket
Opting for Ashwin at the death: As England needed 15 runs in the final over to seal the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy on home soil, Dhoni had three options. With the ball nipping around in overcast conditions, he could have gone with the common-sense choices that were Umesh Yadav or Bhuvneshwar Kumar. But with two left-handers at the crease, Dhoni opted for Ravichandran Ashwin instead. Smashing a spinner, given the modest boundaries at Edgbaston, would have been a tempting prospect for the English, especially for two tailenders who knew of no other way to play spin. But Ashwin lived up to his captain’s expectations with a gem of an over under pressure. India prevailed by five runs as Dhoni proved his champion’s instinct for big calls once again
Turning Rohit into an opener: Known for his lazy elegance, Rohit Sharma was the prototypical Indian middle-order batter until Dhoni decided otherwise. Despite a combined tally of 29 runs in his first three innings as an ODI opener in 2011, Dhoni gave Rohit a second chance at the top of the order when England visited India in 2013. Rahane and Gautam Gambhir had flopped in the first three games of the series, meaning Dhoni was ready to experiment with Rohit in the fourth. After six years of floating everywhere in the Indian batting order, Rohit grabbed his opportunity with both hands, notching up a match-winning 83. Dhoni stuck to Rohit as opener in the Champions Trophy soon after, where Rohit was pivotal to another Indian coronation. Since then, no man has scored more ODI runs as an opener than Rohit ‘Hitman’ Sharma
Promoting himself in the World Cup final: It has been written about before and it will be written about again. But chronicling the familiar is inevitable when the act in question is among the most crucial in India’s cricketing history. With the hosts and favourites in a spot of bother in the 2011 ICC World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, Dhoni promoted himself in the batting order and stepped out before in-form Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni’s rationale was to maintain the left and right combination in the middle (alongside Gambhir) as well as the fact that he would be better equipped to tackle Muttiah Muralitharan, given his experience as a teammate at CSK. As Dhoni strode out to bat at the Wankhede Stadium, Paddy Upton, India’s assistant coach at the time, said: “He’s going to win it for us, isn’t he?” A couple of hours later, Dhoni had done just that, with an imperious 91 not out that ended with the most watched six in the history of the game
Distracting and dismissing Pollard: CSK seemed set to lose out on the 2010 IPL trophy with Kieron Pollard going berserk for the Mumbai Indians in the final. That is until Dhoni had a bizarre idea. Why not position Matthew Hayden in a straightish mid-off, right behind the bowler?! The unconventional plan put Pollard off as he flat-batted the ball right into Hayden’s grateful hands. Dhoni’s magic had done the trick yet again, with MI bidding adieu to glory and CSK going on to claim their maiden IPL championship
Joginder for the win: There is no way you did not see this coming. Having said that, when Dhoni made the all-important decision to give Joginder Sharma the last over of the inaugural ICC World T20 final, few did. In choosing Joginder over Harbhajan Singh, Dhoni had prioritised form on the day over experience. For the first half of the over, Dhoni seemed like a gambler who had bet on the wrong horse. With a wide and a six, Misbah-ul-Haq and Pakistan could reach out and touch victory. Just before the six, Dhoni had done a non-Dhoni thing. He interrupted the game to have a chat with his bowler. Joginder later revealed that Dhoni had asked him to stay calm and execute the plan. Process over result, as Mahi would remind us ad infinitum in subsequent years. Of course, Dhoni was right. Misbah panicked into playing a scoop shot that found Sreesanth instead of the boundary. India were world champions in the shortest format and Joginder knew that he was going to be remembered for the longest time!
