E-Paper
Sign in
CSK star unplugged on why it’s tough to be MS Dhoni, sheds light on his persona: ‘People think it’s easy to be MSD…’
The CSK star hailed MS Dhoni’s greatness, saying beyond fame and admiration, his true strength lies in humility, empathy, and simplicity.
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shreyas Gopal shed light on what makes Mahendra Singh Dhoni's life difficult, and despite that, he stays humble and grounded. MS Dhoni is widely hailed as one of the sharpest minds in world cricket, admired for his tactical acumen and calm leadership. Beyond the field, he commands an unparalleled fan base across India, with millions continuing to celebrate his legacy as a World Cup-winning captain and IPL icon. Over the past couple of years, with constant chatter about his retirement, every IPL venue featuring Dhoni has turned into a spectacle, as fans flock in huge numbers just to witness his magic on the field.
Gopal reflected on MS Dhoni’s greatness, pointing out that while he commands immense fame and admiration, what truly sets him apart is his humility, empathy, and simplicity. He noted that despite the spotlight, Dhoni remains grounded and caring, proving that his legacy goes far beyond just cricketing achievements.
“It’s very hard to be MS Dhoni; it’s extremely hard. People think that it’s very easy to be MS Dhoni. There is a lot of fame and people shout [cheer], but to be him, to be so grounded and to be so humble and to be so empathetic, caring is very hard. And you also understand that he’s also a human being. He loves doing very simple and basic things, and that is his greatness," Gopal said on Sportsyaari.
Also Read - Sachin Tendulkar very clearly said, 'Finish practice first, then we will go' when Team India cricketers tried to...
“There’s no one better than MS Dhoni”
Gopal talked about sharing the dressing room with him and said there is no better tactician than him for handling his players in the big tournament.
“Mainly, it’s basically how to handle a player, how to put a player in a tournament, who to use for the specific over, tactically, there have been so many talks with him. And there’s no one better than him; everyone knows that. So, learning captaincy, learning how to finish matches, just learning how to, the way he deals with his stardom,” he added.
MS Dhoni was recently honoured with induction into the ICC Hall of Fame for his remarkable contributions to international cricket. As India’s Test captain, he led the side in 60 matches, guiding them to 27 wins, 15 defeats and 18 draws. In ODIs, he holds the national record of leading in 200 games, registering 110 victories, 74 losses, five ties and 11 no-results. Renowned as one of the finest finishers in limited-overs cricket, Dhoni amassed 10,773 ODI runs in 350 matches at an average of 50.57, including 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries.
