The last walk to the dressing room

 

"Dhoni finishes it off in style, a magnificent strike into the crowd, India lift the World Cup after 28 years, the party starts in the dressing room, and it is an Indian captain who has been absolutely magnificent on the night of the finals." These lines will forever cherish the memories of that six which Dhoni hit to won the world cup for his nation.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni who announced himself on the international arena with his swashbuckling helicopter shot and his long hairs have finally bid adieu to the game which he loved the most.

Dhoni who was commonly known as the captain cool or Mahi made his international debut in 2004 against Bangladesh in which he got runout on the first ball he faced. But who may have imagined that it is the beginning of an illustrious career?

Mahi who started his career with a duck in his first game just took four more innings to show the world what he is capable of and what he can do. He played a tremendous inning of 148 against Pakistan and registered a victory for team India. The long 16-year career of MSD was full of many glorious and career-defining moments.

In 2007 when Dhoni was assigned with the duty of captaining a young team India for the inaugural T-20 world cup in South Africa, hardly anyone would have believed that team could have won that world cup but it was the amazing and out of the box captaincy of Mahi which did the wonders and sealed the fate in India’s favour.

The decision of MSD to give last over to Joginder Sharma which could have gone either way but his bold captaincy and brilliant thinking proved that what a fearsome leader he was.

The final of 2011 ODI world cup when team India was struggling at 114-3, MS stood up and took the responsibility to face Muralitharan on a rank turner and went ahead of Yuvraj Singh and took the responsibility to carry his team to the finish line.

2013 Champions Trophy victory was no less than a Mahi wonder. In that match when England was easily sailing towards the victory, the decision of captain cool of giving an over to struggling Ishant Sharma under that pressure situation in which he changed the fate of the game towards India, proved that know how to do change the game.

In every pressure situation, MS had taken match-changing decisions with a simple line for his teammates,” Tu Khel Apna agar Kuch Bhi galat hota hai toh mai responsibility lunga”. 

In IPL there was no match for Dhoni and his game. This single statement is enough to prove his class that,” seven teams compete with each other, to play final with CSK”.

He was not a player with proper technique but his game and style completely changed the definition of wicket keeping and chasing big totals. Dhoni holds the record for the fastest stumping in international cricket in just 0.08 seconds. And his contribution from behind the stumps and especially for DRS was unmatchable.

But as like every other cricketer there is a time when for the last time you walked towards the dressing room and went ahead in life leaving this game behind. That day for MSD was the day of semi-final against New Zealand during the 2019 Cricket World Cup when the Indian Team was reduced 71-5 while chasing the target of 240.

For the world, the game was over, rest of the game was just a mere formality but the hope of millions of Indians was alive just because of one name ‘DHONI’.

Comment your favourite Dhoni moment.

By- Yogesh Sejwal