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| The 41-year-old Dhoni, who bats at number eight, is the favorite cricketer of the IPL |
India's legendary wicketkeeper-batsman and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has successfully established himself as a formidable lower-order batsman for his Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings, four years after he retires from international cricket. has changed. Sports journalist Suresh Menon writes on the new avatar of the 41-year-old cricket superstar.
When this season's IPL is over, it wouldn't be a bad idea to give the trophy a name.
If anyone can be the symbol of this tournament and the center of attention for the fans, it should probably be Dhoni. He has always been the face of the IPL and as such the 'MS Dhoni Trophy' will serve as a gold rush.
Dhoni was the most expensive player in the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008. Fifteen years later, he remains the most valuable player of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and embodies in himself the most exciting and best concept of this T20 tournament.
Even in Chennai, a city of movie stars and politicians, where millions of people worship him in a way, Dhoni is seen prominently, especially during these few weeks of the IPL.
The relationship between CSK and their fans is special and Dhoni is the person who symbolizes CSK. He is amazingly skilled at hitting sixes and leads the team with rare intelligence. As long as he is at the crease, CSK is unlikely to lose a match.
Another cup for your team
Four years ago, Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket. Every year since then the question of his quitting all forms of cricket has haunted the minds of critics and fans alike.
But Dhoni has other things on his mind and that is that he wants to give his team another cup. They have already won the cup four times but this time they want to make it five and match Mumbai Indians.
Dhoni remains the most authentic captain in the IPL, a haven where young and often underconfident players find refuge. That is just what is expected. He will turn 42 in July and is likely only worthy of a place in the team for the captaincy, not only because of his underhanded tactics but also to support the younger players who look up to him. Let's see with our eyes.
When he was captain of the Indian team, Dhoni once said that he only wanted a team that would throw itself in front of a truck when the time came. And they have got such a team in CSK.
But Dhoni's late arrival this year, even his decision to bat at No. 8, is drawing comments. He is suffering from a knee injury and has apparently told his players to 'don't make me run too much.' Regarding this, he has explained that his job is to 'batt in the last overs and get the ball out'.
Chant of 'Dhoni, Dhoni'
And they are doing it impressively. His strike rate in the current IPL is 204, he has scored 96 runs off just 47 balls and has hit 10 sixes at an average of one six every 4.7 balls.
Batting at number 8, he scored 20 runs in nine balls against Delhi Capitals and his team won the match by 27 runs. He started CSK's home season by hitting fast bowler Mark Wood for a six off the first two balls. Batting at number 6 against Punjab Kings, he scored 13 runs off four balls with two sixes.
I can't remember a time when the arrival of a team's No. 8 batsman was so eagerly awaited.
His teammate Ravindra Jadeja has said that he is not too keen on going to bat at No. 7 because by then the chants of 'Dhoni, Dhoni' start, and the crowd (not just in Chennai) is a wicket away. They start praying to be there so that they can watch Dhoni play.
Dhoni's new avatar could be a message to two types of players: one, those who bat below No. 3 and whose only job is to hit sixes, and not just stay at the crease.
And his message to other aging batsmen is to make yourself useful by hitting big hits in T20s, and that's the only justification for being there.
In red-ball cricket, things go in reverse order. Players like Rohan Kanhai or Sachin Tendulkar start by hitting the ball brilliantly but often change their guard and play straight, and start collecting runs instead of hitting boundaries.
No one could get into Dhoni's mind
This attitude is wrong in white-ball cricket. Dhoni says that scoring 20 runs off nine balls is more useful than 50 runs off 70 balls.
To be able to play T20 at the age of 41 requires the kind of self-awareness and fitness that Dhoni is displaying. Then it also requires passion, especially when you don't even have to prove yourself.
It takes humility and awareness to accept that great centuries and half-centuries are a thing of the past, and yet there is nothing more pathetic in the game than to see a former great lose his glory days. Try to get it again.
In all these years no Dhoni tails have not been able to look. Every time he announced his retirement, first from red hair, and then from white hair cricket, he surprised everyone. Will this be his last year in the IPL? Maybe yes, or maybe not.
However, it would be appropriate to name the IPL trophy after him. After all, it was his team that won India the 2007 World Cup and gave birth to the IPL.
Suresh Menon has written books on cricketers like Tendulkar and Bishan Bedi.