3 Unknown people who helped shape MS Dhoni's career
MS Dhoni is not just any ordinary player in India, he is an emotion. Fondly referred to as 'Mahi', Dhoni's popularity is evident amongst Indians from all walks of life.
The tweet attached below by the advisor of Former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is a testimony to that fact.
Dr #Kalam never watched TV but often he would ask cricket scores, whenever India was playing. If things looked bleak, he would ask, “is the captain @msdhoni still not out?” If i said “yes”
He would smile and say “Don’t worry the captain would set it all right”
#DhoniRetires https://t.co/pu1qXWqjkS
Apart from being one of the finest batters and wicket-keepers in the country, Dhoni has endeared himself most for his impeccable leadership qualities. MS Dhoni is the only Indian captain to have won all ICC events, namely the T20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup and the Champions Trophy. He also has four IPL trophies and a solitary Champions League title in his cabinet.
However, his work in Indian Cricket is not limited to trophies. He became perhaps the first captain to focus heavily on fitness and fielding, an aspect of the game in which the Indian team was falling far behind the likes of Australia and South Africa.
Dhoni groomed talented youngsters like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja into the able match-winners that they are today.
Dhoni's journey from the small town of Ranchi in Jharkhand to becoming one of the biggest names in the sporting world has been nothing short of spectacular. However, this journey has been one full of immense toil, dedication and even huge setbacks. Yet, 'Captain Cool' was lucky to be surrounded by a reliable set of people who always had his back, helping him focus and work solely towards realizing his dream.
Let us have a look at some of these very special people, who somewhat unknowingly changed the destiny of Indian Cricket.
#1 Keshav Banerjee
MS Dhoni's childhood coach Keshav Banerjee was one of the first people to identify young Dhoni's talent. Before foraying into cricket, Dhoni used to be a goalkeeper at the Jawahar Vidya Mandir School. Impressed by his keeping skills, the school sports master - Mr. Banerjee was confident the young boy could make the switch to cricket as a keeper-batsman.
Initially, Mr. Banerjee wanted Dhoni to focus solely on wicket-keeping but soon realized his natural ability with the bat. Soon MS Dhoni was pushed up the batting order of the school team. Banerjee also realized the leadership potential of the youngster and made him the captain of the school team in 11th grade.
#2 Paramjit Singh
Paramjit Singh was Dhoni's teammate at the Royal Club who later started his own sports equipment shop in Ranchi called Prime Sports, which is a famous landmark in the city today. Coming from a middle-class family, Dhoni always struggled with his cricketing equipment in his initial days, especially his bats.
Well aware of his talent, Singh repeatedly requested the owner of BAS (Beat All Sports), Somi Kohli to help Dhoni with a cricket kit. After six months of convincing, Mr. Kohli finally sent the kits to the then 17-year-old Dhoni, thereby starting a more than two-decade-long association with 'Mahi'.
It is no secret that apart from his love for the game, Dhoni also has a passion for bikes. Mr. Singh would often lend his RX 100 bike to the youngster. Today, Dhoni is one of the richest celebrities in the country today, but he would owe a lot to his dear friend Paramjit Singh, who helped him in his days of struggle.
#3 Santosh Lal
Dhoni has emerged as one of the most dominant finishers in the world of cricket. His trademark 'Helicopter Shot' has made it possible for him to even send toe-crushing yorkers all over the park.
However, he was not the first to play this shot. His dear friend Santosh Lal had invented this shot and taught the same to his dear friend. This story is familiar to many people who have seen Dhoni's biopic 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'.
Santosh Lal himself played first-class cricket for Jharkhand. Lal tragically passed away at the young age of 29 due to acute pancreatitis in July 2013. His friend Dhoni tried his best to save him by arranging an air ambulance from Ranchi to Delhi but it was too late.