A great experience, but a daunting one as well, is how Australia’s Steve Smith has described the opportunity to captain MS Dhoni in the 2017 season of the IPL, adding that ‘Captain Cool’ also helped him in being calm and level-headed.

Smith led the Rising Pune Supergiant — a squad that also featured Dhoni as Chennai Super Kings were serving a two-year ban from the competition at the time — to the 2017 finals, missing out on the title by just 1 run to Mumbai Indians.

“When I got the call to say that they wanted me to captain, it was a little bit daunting. But that season, MSD was just wonderful. You know, he helped in any way that he could and, he’s a terrific guy,” Smith, who will be a part of the commentary team in the season starting Friday, told Star Sports about his experience.

“It was a great experience being able to captain him, but also very daunting as well.”

Smith also spoke about the emotions he went through when he was picked as the captain and how he felt leading a side with Dhoni in it.

“I didn’t really know what to expect initially… MS had captained every team he played for, obviously throughout the IPL with Chennai, every season should I say. But yeah, when they came and asked me, I was a little bit shocked first, and then I didn’t really know what to say. It was like, have you spoken to MS about this? This is a little bit strange from my side, but after we sorted everything out, MS was just wonderful.

“And the way he helped me and helped guide that team was incredible. And yeah, I couldn’t thank him enough.”

Not only did he bounce ideas off Dhoni that season, Smith said he has been able to learn and emulate from the legend over the years.

“It didn’t look like he was flustered by any emotions and that’s certainly something I’ve taken in not just in that season, but just watching him go about his business in the prior years. So you know, I have to try and keep myself as calm and as sort of levelheaded as I can. That’s certainly something that I learned off of MS.”

PTI