5 instances that prove that MS Dhoni is a wonderful sportsman
Sportsmanship has become a rarity these days and the ugly spat between David Warner and Quinton de Kock rekindled the debate of spirit of the game again. Every game is a wonderful sight if it is played in the right spirit and the former India captain MS Dhoni has always played the game in the right spirit.
During his captaincy tenure, India won the ICC World T20 in 2007, ICC World Cup in 2011, and ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Despite these accomplishments, he made sure his team showed sportsmanship.
The wicket-keeper batsman is known for his calmness on the field, which earned him tags such as 'Captain Cool' and 'Cool Cucumber'. He has led Chennai Super Kings in eight seasons so far and they have won 'Fair Play' award six times. He has displayed true sportsman spirit on many occasions and let us take a look at a few of them.
#1 Dhoni offering captaincy to Saurav Ganguly for one last time
Sourav Ganguly changed the complexion of Indian cricket. He took over when the team was badly affected by the match-fixing scandal. However, with his aggressive captaincy, he led India to many memorable wins.
Ganguly played his farewell Test against Australia in Nagpur in November 2008. Dhoni, who was leading the side asked Ganguly to lead the side as a token of respect for the former captain. Dada never saw this coming and was surprised by this move.
Even though he turned down the offer first, Dhoni asked again when the match came to a close, and this time Dada couldn't refuse the offer. Ganguly, one of India's most successful captains, led the side for one more time and one couldn't have asked for a better farewell.
#2 Dhoni sportsmanship in Ian Bell's controversial run out
India and England locked horns at Trent Bridge in 2011 and in England's second innings. Ian Bell was given run out when he was batting on 137 in a controversial way. Eoin Morgan flicked the last ball of the 66th over to deep square leg where Praveen Kumar was positioned.
They ran three and Bell walked half-way down the pitch, then moved to towards dressing room for the tea break, thinking bowl raced away for four.
In the meantime, Abhinav Mukund took the bails off and appealed for a runout. Umpires checked the replays and declared Bell as out. During the break, England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower requested Dhoni to withdraw the appeal. The Indian captain withdrew his team's appeal and decided to call back Bell.
This gesture made the touring team receive the standing ovation. Dhoni was hailed for upholding the spirit of the game and he won the ICC Spirit of Cricket award for that year.