Celebrating Captain Cool: 4 aspects of MS Dhoni's genius that are often overlooked
Former Indian captain MS Dhoni turns 39 today and over a 17-year career, he has achieved it all in the game of cricket. Wishes have poured in for the wicket-keeper, from various former and current cricketers to teams like his Indian Premier League (IPL) side Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Amidst the outpouring of love for MS Dhoni, we have seen his best moments revisited and his worst moments sympathised with. We have been witness to fantastic highlight reels and poignant tributes. We have even watched Dwayne Bravo's addictive song dedicated to his CSK captain.
It is almost impossible for a man like MS Dhoni to have cricketing aspects not scrutinised to the fullest, but he has so many incredible facets to his game that it is simply impossible to discuss them all.
In this article, we take a look at four aspects of MS Dhoni's genius that are often overlooked.
#4 MS Dhoni has been compatible with all coaching staff
Over the course of his international and domestic career, MS Dhoni has been involved in very few controversies. We have never seen him have an open rift with the coaching staff of all the teams he has been part of, something quite unusual in the high-octane sport that is Indian cricket.
Virat Kohli had quite an ugly spat with former Indian head coach Anil Kumble, with a reported difference in styles contributing to the latter's resignation from the post. The controversial Greg Chappell had a tumultuous stint, with his sacking of Sourav Ganguly from the role at the helm ripping the team's chemistry apart.
But MS Dhoni, who has worked with Gary Kirsten, Duncan Fletcher, Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Bangar, and Anil Kumble, as well as with Stephen Fleming at CSK, has got along with all of them. The captain-coach combination is a vastly underrated aspect of any sporting team, and MS Dhoni's success under all these leaders exemplifies the fact.