Australian legend Greg Chappell has rated former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as “one of the sharpest cricket minds”, saying his decision-making skills set him apart from his great contemporaries.

Chappell, who had a tumultuous two-season tenure as India’s chief coach from 2005 to 2007, has often spoken highly of the two-time World Cup-winning captain, who ended his international career in August 2020 as one of the country’s greatest players.

The Australian cited the example of Dhoni while lamenting the absence of natural environments that once played a huge part in the development of players in strong cricketing nations.

“...In those environments, young cricketers learnt from watching good players and then emulating them in pick-up matches with family and friends,” Chappell wrote on ESPNCricinfo.

“MS Dhoni, with whom I worked in India, is a good example of a batter who developed his talent and learnt to play in this fashion.

“By competing against more experienced individuals, Dhoni developed the decision-making and strategic skills that have set him apart from many of his peers. His is one of the sharpest cricket minds I have encountered,” the 73-year-old Chappell said.