"I had foreseen a great future" - When an Aussie legend termed India lucky to have a leader like MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is regarded as one of the greatest white-ball captains of all time in world cricket. He remains the only leader to have won all three limited-overs ICC trophies. Under the Ranchi legend, the Men in Blue won the T20 World Cup in 2007, the ODI World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. He has also guided Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five IPL wins.
Dhoni took charge of the Indian team after the disastrous 2007 one-day World Cup campaign in the West Indies. Under the captain-coach combo of Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell, Team India had failed to progress past the first round. There were question marks over Dhoni's leadership when the youngster was handed charge of the Indian team. However, he proved critics wrong in no time.
While Chappell is often criticized for how he coached the team during his controversial stint, the Aussie legend has often praised Dhoni's leadership. Speaking to news agency PTI in October 2007, Chappell opined that India were lucky to have the keeper-batter as their leader. He commented:
"I had foreseen a great future for Dhoni. He has proved his potential and has been most impressive as a leader. The Indians are lucky to have a leader like him. The Indian team is now doing well. When I was the coach, whatever I did stood them in good stead. It is up to the others to judge. They have a few exciting players and have already won the ICC World Twenty20."
"The good thing about Indian cricket is that it has a varied environment in which players are groomed differently. The players, like those from far-flung areas, are an example of that," the former Australian batter added.
Chappell's stint as head coach of the Indian team was marred by numerous controversies. He and Sourav Ganguly did not see eye to eye on many issues. To this day, several former Indian cricketers who played for the country during Chappell's tenure as coach criticize his methods and skills.
MS Dhoni's record as Team India captain
Dhoni led India in 60 Test matches, winning 27 and losing 18, while 15 matches ended in a draw. In terms of most Test wins as India's captain, he is next only to Virat Kohli (40 wins from 68 Tests).
The 43-year-old also the Men in Blue in 200 ODIs out of which India won 110 and lost 74. Five matches ended in a tie, while 11 produced no result. In T20Is, the legendary stumper captained India in 72 games, winning 41 and losing 28. One match ended in a tie, while two produced no result.