"I picked you because you can hit the ball miles away" - When Thisara Perera recalled a special moment with MS Dhoni in the IPL
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has guided Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a record-equaling five titles in the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, CSK is not the only franchise he has represented in the T20 league. When Chennai were banned for two years from the IPL in 2016 and 2017, Dhoni turned out for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) franchise.
Former Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera was one of Dhoni's teammates at RPS in 2016. In an interview given to News9 in February 2022, Perera recalled a special moment he shared with the Indian legend while batting with him. The 35-year-old remembered that their team was in all sorts of trouble when he walked out to bat, but added that his interaction with Dhoni was a very special one.
Narrating the incident, the Lankan cricketer said (as quoted by Hindustan Times):
“I remember a special incident with MS Dhoni for Rising Pune Supergiants, in 2016, and that is where I felt that Dhoni is like my brother. In one of the matches, we were 35-5, and I came down to bat. MS was the non-striker.
“He walked up to me and said, 'Hi, TP. Let's just bat'. I defended my first ball and he comes to me knocking the pitch - 'Hey, TP. What are you doing?' I said, 'I am just watching the ball.' The reply from him was very special, something which I didn't expect with the sort of scorecard we were having at that time. 'No, no. I picked you because you can hit the ball miles away. Go explode',” Perera added.
Concluding the story, the left-handed batter said that Dhoni went on to bat till the end of the innings. He also described the Indian star as one of the best captains he has played under.
"And from there on, I was just hitting every ball. I got around 18-ball 40 or something, which took the momentum away from the opposition. MS played until the 20th over and we scored around 170 or 180 from 35-5. And that is why it is always special to play under MS. He is one of the best captains I have played under in my career," Perera stated.
The former Lankan all-rounder played 37 matches in his IPL career. He scored 422 runs at a strike rate of 137.46 and claimed 31 wickets at an economy rate of 8.73.
How MS Dhoni outshone Thisara Perera in the 2011 World Cup final
Dhoni and Perera were in opposite camps when India took on Sri Lanka in the 2011 ODI World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Lankans batted first in the match and put up 277-4. While Mahela Jayawardene struck a hundred, Perera put the finishing touches to the innings, clobbering 22* off nine.
With the ball, he dismissed the well-set Gautam Gambhir for 97, with India's score reading 223-4. The wicket got Sri Lanka back in the final, but Dhoni (91* off 79) played a captain's knock and lifted India to glory.