Former Team India skipper and wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni is popular as ‘Captain Cool’. However, very few know the story behind Dhoni becoming the captain of Team India.
The incident happened in 2007 when Dhoni was just 26 years old. After India’s dismal show in the ODI World Cup where they got knocked out in just the first round, BCCI was looking for replacement of the then captain Rahul Dravid. The board had reached out to Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar to lead the Men in Blue again. But Sachin refused to take the mantle of the team again and recommended another name.
Sachin was quite impressed with MS Dhoni. Dhoni was quite young and very new to the team then. But by then, Sachin had spent a lot of time with him in the slips. The Master Blaster was quiet impressed with the insights of Dhoni on the game. He used to ask for his feedback and Dhoni would say the right things. That is why Sachin felt it was only right that Dhoni, even at such a young age, should lead India on the field.
“I was offered captaincy again in England. I said we have another very good leader in the team. But he was still a junior and he is someone you should look at closely. I have had a lot of conversations with him and I know his leadership skills. Though Rahul was the captain, I would ask him and the feedback I received very balanced suggestions, calm, yet very much matured,” Sachin said.
“Good captaincy is about being a step ahead of opposition. A good captain plans properly and in the process gets favourable result. I saw those qualities in Dhoni. Hence, I recommended his name,” the former India skipper and great batsman added.