Former India chief selector reveals how MS Dhoni became India's permanent white-ball captain
Dilip Vengsarkar on how MS Dhoni became India's permanent white-ball captain.
MS Dhoni remains a huge name in world cricket. The Jharkhand-born Indian cricketer debuted in international cricket in late 2004 and soon became a household name. In 2007, he led a young Indian team -- sans seniors such as regular captain Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly -- in the T20 World Cup and went on to win the championship in South Africa. Soon after, he became India's full-time captain and ended with all three major ICC trophies under his belt.
Recently, Dilip Vengsarkar -- India's 1983 World Cup-winning member and former chief selector -- revealed how and why Dhoni was elevated as the white-ball captain. It is to be noted that Dravid stepped down as the Indian captain during MS Dhoni-led Men in Blue's T20 WC campaign in South Africa. Dhoni was named as the white-ball skipper before he led India to the T20 WC title. Vengsarkar, who served as the chief selector when Dravid resigned, revealed Dhoni's body language, and communication skills with other players worked in his favour to get the top post.
'We saw Dhoni's approach to the game...'
“Apart from being an automatic choice in the team, you look at the player’s cricketing acumen, body language, ability to lead from the front and man management skills. We saw Dhoni's approach to the game, body language, how he spoke to others; we got positive feedback," Vengsarkar told Hindustan Times.
It is widely known that after Dravid resigned, the BCCI urged Sachin Tendulkar to take up the Indian captaincy, which he turned down politely and suggested Dhoni's name. Good feedback, tactical acumen, body language, and man-management skills did the trick for Dhoni who took over Indian cricket in all formats by late 2008 when he became the Test captain.
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Apart from his captaincy, Dhoni ended his international career with 17,266 runs, 108 half-centuries, 16 tons, 634 catches, 359 sixes, and 195 stumpings. He announced his international retirement on August 15, 2020, but remains active in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fifth title in this year's edition.