Seldom do we see any captain making a glittering start right from the word go. But that did happen to India’s one of gifted cricketers, who went on to earn the tag of `Captain Cool’ with his fabulous leadership. Crores of his fans must have been surprised by his sudden decision for sure. But they need not get disappointed that Dhoni will continue to play to entertain his fans as a player now. For die-hard fans it is not easy to digest, but that is what life is all about. It’s his his personal decision and we all should respect.
Dhoni’s contribution will never ever be forgotten, and let’s all salute him that he has decided to retire gracefully, the way he led the side and played his cricket.
From day one he was made captain when Dilip Vengsarkar was the chairman of selectors, everybody appreciated the decision and he quite rightly lived up to the expectations, winning the inaugural 20-20 World Cup straightaway in South Africa. Let us also not forget that there were so many rookie faces, who all put in a great effort, enjoying Dhoni’s captaincy skills.
If India came very close to win 2003 big world cup, it became possible under Dhoni’s captaincy in 2011, as they could repeat the 83 feat after a gap of 28 years. Dhoni as captain, India achieved so much of success particularly in one-day and 20-20 cricket. He also led superbly in Test cricket, helping India earning 1st rank, barring the bitter experiences he had in England and Australia. In Tests, Dhoni of course was fortunate to lead a side which had greats such as – Sachin, Dravid and Laxman. But we should also not forget the truth the he won matches for the country with limited bowling resources.
He will be remembered as one of India’s greatest captains and let us wish him good luck for the future.
By Sudheer Mahavadi – DD Commentator
