Who’s your favourite cricketer of all time?
People from the late 80s and early 90s would say Kapil Dev or Sunil Gavaskar. Those who followed the game in the mid and late 90s would say, Sachin or Ganguly. Fans for early 2000 will name Virender Sehwag or Yuvraj Singh. The current ones will name either Rohit or Virat. But one man who has been ruling in the hearts of every cricket fan for close to 2 decades is former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Wherever he goes, his fans follow him in huge numbers. They would take over the streets, follow the team bus or gather outside the team hotel for just a glimpse of Dhoni. More than a cricketer, he’s a beloved son, friend, companion and inspiration to countless people, if not he is one.
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On 7 July 2023, the legendary wicketkeeper batter turned 42. Wishes are pouring in on social media endlessly while in the real world, his fans are celebrating the day like a festival. On his day, we decided to decode his fandom and listed 7 points why is the most-loved cricketer in India.
Here we go!
Reviving faith in Indian cricket: 2007 saw Indian cricket suffering a massive blow. The 50-over world cup in the Caribbean turned out to be a nightmare as the men in blue couldn’t make it to Super Six after losing 2 out of 3 games in the group stage. The early exit led to violent reactions from fans who took to the streets, burnt cricketers’ effigies, and even attacked their houses. In the aftermath of the World Cup debacle, BCCI handed leadership to a young Dhoni who was just 3 years old in the dressing room. He went into the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa and the rest, as they say, is history.
Dhoni hai to mumkin hai
Dhoni’s leadership left a deep impact not only on the Indian cricketing set-up but also on the fans who were watching the game from outside. His on-field tactics were no less than magic tricks. People’s belief in him strengthened with time and they stopped panicking anymore when India were in a nervy situation, be it while chasing or defending, because people knew that Dhoni was there.
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A cabinet full of ICC trophies
Until the inception of the World Test Championship (WTC), Dhoni was the only captain to have won all three ICC trophies. Starting from the 2007 T20 World Cup, he continued his legacy in the 2011 50-over world cup and then in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. His habit of winning the ICC titles is direly missed by the fans now.
The favourite of all cricketers
Be it a senior pro or a budding youngster, every individual is a Dhoni fan. After his international retirement, Dhoni only plays the IPL while the other players wait eagerly for the new season to play with or against the legendary wicketkeeper-batter. His teammates get to learn a lot from him but his opponents also never miss an opportunity to have suggestions from him. That’s why he is often surrounded by youngsters after an IPL game ends.
The selfless Dhoni
Teams posing with the trophy after winning a championship with their captain in the middle has been a common trend. But Dhoni’s style is different. He hands it straight to the youngest or the newest in the team and sets himself aside. He is usually spotted in the corner while the others take centre stage. He started this ritual in the Indian team and then the likes of Virat and Rohit followed in his footsteps. Recently, he handed the IPL trophy to Ambati Rayudu who was playing his last game.
The best family man
His wife Sakshi and daughter Ziva are as popular as Dhoni himself. Just because wherever he goes, he is accompanied by his family. He isn’t active on social media at all but his wife is who often shares photos and videos of his husband. Dhoni has definitely set the best example of how to be a good family man.
The captain of all Indians
Be it a former cricketer, a current one, an actor, a politician or a common man, the word captain is synonymous with MS Dhoni. Cricket is an emotion in India and so is Dhoni just because of his services to the Indian team and his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. Fans gather in numbers to see only him no matter which stadium he is playing at.
He was 41 when he recently equalled the record of Rohit Sharma for the most number of IPL titles. Before signing off, he accepted that he would like to return next season if his body allows only for the fans who love him so much. More than playing for himself, he would be back to the love he has been garnering for years.
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