In his near decade-and-a-half long international career, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has seen a number of players come and go in the Indian cricket team and during his time as captain, he was a mentor to many young cricketers.
On the field, Dhoni is known to have a calm, stoic demeanour which helps him get through the most tense situations. India have won the biggest tournaments under the 38-year-old’s captaincy and a lot of credit for that has to go to his man-management skills.
Talking on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, fast bowlers Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami reflected on what makes Dhoni stand out as a leader.
Sharma, who made his international debut in 2007 and has played most of his cricket under Dhoni’s captaincy, said that the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman has taught him a lot.
“I started knowing Mahi bhai much better after 2013,” said Sharma. “I realised that he’s totally cool.. the way he would talk to youngsters. He has always been the same. He never tells us to not come to his room or disturb him. It’s always enjoyable to be around him, one can learn so much from him about life.
Shami added that Dhoni’s calmness went a long way in putting his teammates at ease and giving them confidence to excel on the field.
“I don’t think any player has given better guidance to youngsters than Mahi bhai has,” said Shami. “You can talk to him about anything. He is always positive. No matter how big you think you are, you will become his fan if you hear him talk.”