MS Dhoni’s 42nd birthday: 5 instances illustrating why he is known as ‘Captain Cool’
On his 42nd birthday today, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, famously known as 'Captain Cool', stands as the sole captain to possess all three ICC White ball trophies.
Celebrating his 42nd birthday today, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, is renowned for his composed demeanor in high-pressure situations. Fondly referred to as ‘Captain Cool’ by his fans, Dhoni holds a unique distinction in world cricket as the only captain to have triumphed in all three ICC white-ball tournaments: the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy.
Presenting 5 instances where Dhoni showcased his unwavering coolness as a captain:
1) 2007 World Cup:
India’s remarkable triumph in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 remains a legendary tale. During the final against Pakistan, India had set a target of 157 runs in their first innings. However, Misbah-ul-Haq’s performance had the potential to snatch the game away from the Indian team.
In a bold move, Dhoni entrusted the relatively inexperienced medium-pacer Joginder Sharma with the crucial final over to face Misbah-ul-Haq. Astonishingly, Joginder Sharma rose to the occasion, claiming Misbah’s wicket on the second ball of the over, ultimately securing a memorable victory for India.
2) 2011 World Cup Final:
India faced an early setback in their pursuit of a challenging target of 275 runs against Sri Lanka when they lost the crucial wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli stabilized the innings to some extent. However, in a surprising move, Dhoni chose to promote himself up the batting order instead of Yuvraj Singh after Kohli’s dismissal. This decision seemed questionable at the time, considering Dhoni’s struggles with form in the World Cup and Yuvraj Singh’s exceptional batting performance throughout the tournament.
Yet, Dhoni’s calculated move proved to be a masterstroke as the composed Indian captain guided the team to their first ODI World Cup victory in 28 years with a match-winning six.
3) Promoting Rohit Sharma as an opener:
Initially, Rohit Sharma held a position in the middle order when it came to playing in the shorter format of cricket. Unfortunately, he faced limited success in that role.
Recognizing the need for a change, MSD (Mahendra Singh Dhoni) took the decision to assign Rohit a new role within the Indian team before the 2013 Champions Trophy. Rohit was elevated to the position of opening batsman, and this decision proved to be a turning point in his career. The batsman hailing from Mumbai quickly made his mark, becoming the fastest player to reach 6,000 runs as an opener. Since then, he has become an integral part of the Indian cricket setup.
4) Using Ishant in the Champions Trophy:
Throughout Dhoni’s cricketing journey, one defining trait has been the unwavering belief he has placed in his players. This faith was evident in the final of the 2013 Champions Trophy, a crucial match that was reduced to 20 overs due to rain. Against the flow of the game, Dhoni made the bold decision to entrust the ball to Ishant Sharma.
At that stage, Ishant had been conceding runs and Ravi Bopara, the opposing batsman, was in an impressive and destructive form. However, in the 18th over of the match, Ishant delivered a game-changing performance by dismissing Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan in consecutive deliveries. This exceptional display turned the tide in India’s favor and swung the match in their direction.
5) 2016 T-20 World Cup:
Although India did not emerge as the champions of the 2016 T20 World Cup, which ultimately marked MS Dhoni’s final major championship as India’s captain, an extraordinary display of leadership was witnessed in a match against Bangladesh. Despite the challenging circumstances, Captain Cool demonstrated remarkable leadership skills and guided his team to a thrilling one-run victory.
