Yes, before coming into the glamour of cricket he was a train ticket collector in Kharagpur in West Bengal, also known for its Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and the longest railway platform in the world.
Known for throwing surprises at everyone even with his marriage and handing over the ball for the crucial final over in a T20 World Cup to Joginder Sharma, now a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Haryana, Dhoni at the age of 39, made the confirmation of his retirement through a video on social media, its caption reading: “Thanks – Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.” This message was posted on India’s Independence Day.
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This announcement meant that Dhoni’s last India game would always remain the semifinal of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in which India lost to New Zealand by 18 runs. It was his 350th ODI, in which he scored 50 off 72 balls before being run-out by an accurate throw at stumps from Martin Guptill from deep close to the boundary. Incidentally, Dhoni was run-out in his first ODI as well and ended his career with a run out even though he was considered one of the best runners between the wickets in the game of cricket.
He has left behind statistics with several world records under his belt, which he achieved in his career and can be inspirational to many upcoming young cricketers. Having retired from Test cricket in December of 2014 with 4876 runs from 90 matches, Dhoni carried on playing ODIs and T20Is. With 10,733 runs, Dhoni is fifth in the list of India’s all-time run-scorers in ODI behind Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. His overall One Day International statistics are staggering: 538 matches, 17,266 runs, 16 centuries, 108 fifties, 359 sixes, 829 dismissals.
Under Dhoni’s leadership in 2010, India won the Asia Cup, after 15 years, beating Sri Lanka comprehensively in the finals. It was the perfect way to warm up for what was to come next. With the World Cup returning to India after 15 years, India were hot favourites to lift the most prized trophy in cricket, and with Dhoni leading, India realised a 28-year-long dream. Struggling for runs in the tournament, Dhoni saved his best for last. He hit an unbeaten 91, to help India chase down 275 against Sri Lanka. The winning six, the sight of Dhoni lofting Nuwan Kulasekara over long-on and the twists of his bat after the shot, triggered euphoria amidst the entire world and will stand out as perhaps the most iconic moment in Indian cricket after Kapil Dev lifting the Prudential World Cup in 1983. In fact the legend Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, one of India’s greatest batsman has mentioned that he would love to see that “Dhoni moment” till his last breath.
Noted commentator Harsha Bhogle writes that he tried telling Dhoni that he must speak to India’s cricket lovers more often. He nodded and smiled. Of course, he didn’t. In India cricket offers us so much but the hero like Dhoni always focused on the job assigned to him, delivered at his best and quietly made himself invisible like “Mr India” when the celebrations for victory happened. Many a times media had to search for him during celebrations while he was busy offering his winning T-Shirt to a young boy in the crowd. He had the skills to detach himself too. A very rare quality when all celebrated he gave a message that he was just a part of the team as a contributor even though he was the Captian of the team.
Dhoni’s future is now a hot topic of speculation since his sabbatical from cricket following India’s World Cup exit. Ever since the defeat to New Zealand, Dhoni did not play any form of cricket in the last one year, hinting he might have played his last in India Blues. Dhoni, however, would be turning up in the IPL where he will captain the Chennai Super Kings in the tournament’s 13th season in the UAE and all will look forward to see him wield his helicopter shot.
