3 times Rohit Sharma heaped praise on MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the most successful Indian captains to date and he played a crucial role in shaping the future and careers of many cricketers. Additionally, 17 years ago today, on September 24, 2007, India claimed victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup by defeating Pakistan in the final under Dhoni's captaincy.
Fast forward to 2024, Rohit Sharma, who thrived under Dhoni’s leadership, guided India to their second T20 World Cup victory in June 2024, as the Men in Blue triumphed over South Africa in the final by seven runs.
Dhoni and Rohit are also the most successful captains in the Indian Premier League, winning five titles each with their respective teams, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.
Numerous cricketers have praised MS Dhoni for his support throughout their careers, including the current Indian Test and ODI captain, Rohit Sharma. On that note, let’s look at three occasions when the Indian opener expressed his admiration for MS Dhoni.
#1 When Rohit Sharma hailed the wicket-keeper batter as the best captain he ever had
In 2020, Rohit Sharma appeared in an interview on the Curly Tales YouTube channel, where he was asked:
"Is there any role model for you, when it comes to calmness, to whom do you look up to?"
Rohit Sharma responded:
“MS Dhoni is the one who has been like that. It's in-born. It has helped him to make such good decisions on the field and now you see he is the most successful Indian captain with all three ICC trophies with him and many IPL titles as well.”
The Indian opener went on to say that MS Dhoni is the best captain India has ever had due to his ability to stay calm and composed under pressure.
“He is the best captain India has ever had, and there’s a reason for that—he remains calm and composed in high-pressure situations. I’ve watched him work with many young bowlers; when they’re under pressure, he simply puts his arm around them and guides them on what needs to be done.”
#2 When Rohit opened up about the influence of Dhoni on his career
MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket on August 15, 2020. Four years later, on August 15, 2024, Star Sports shared a clip of Rohit Sharma from the 2021 T20 World Cup, where the Indian opener discussed how Dhoni influenced his career. He said:
"I made my World Cup debut under him (Dhoni), which was 2007 and since then we’ve had a very long journey, played a lot of cricket together. His ability to just be with the youngster and encourage him, no matter what the situation of the game is, no matter what the performance of a player is. He just tries to make sure that there is enough composure around that player, the player doesn’t feel insecure and that I think is a very very important thing when the player just comes into the team."
"And even for a player who has played a lot of games, for him also, he might go through a bad patch, you need someone to just come around you and just pat your back and say, ‘Hey nothing to worry about, you’ve got all the ability, talent, and everything, just need to go out there and enjoy.' You need that kind of backing and support from your captain and that is what we all got when he was captain," Rohit added.
#3 When Rohit Sharma said he was blessed to play under Dhoni
Rohit Sharma made his international debut in 2007, but it wasn't until MS Dhoni asked him to open in the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy that he began to thrive.
In a 2017 interview with PTI, the current Indian Test and ODI captain recognized that this decision by Dhoni significantly changed the trajectory of his career. He said:
“I believe the decision to open in ODIs changed my career and it was a decision taken by MS Dhoni. I became a better batsman after that. In fact, it helped me understand my game better, and react better according to situations.”
“With no disrespect to other great Indian captains, I was blessed to play under MS all these years. His calmness in pressure situations helped us. He always led from the front. There won’t be one like him," he added.
Rohit Sharma is set to return to action in the second Test against Bangladesh, which begins in Kanpur on September 27.