Mind-boggling to see how people worship MS Dhoni in India: Sam Billings
Sam Billings finds it 'mind-boggling' how MS Dhoni goes through his life in India where his fans revere and even worship him to the hilt.
The England wicketkeeper-batsman said on Monday that it was a 'huge honor' for him to play under Dhoni and observe him from close quarters at the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Billings also talked about how Dhoni manages his fame and reputation and the restrictions that come with it.
"I had the huge honor of playing with MS Dhoni as my captain at Chennai and seeing his life and seeing how he has to live day by day in terms of being cooped up in an hotel and you literally cannot leave unless its to go to training or a match, it's amazing. It's just mind-boggling how people absolutely worship him," Billings said on the Headstrong podcast.
Sam Billings represented CSK for two seasons in 2018-19 before moving to the Delhi Capitals in 2021. He played 11 matches for the Chennai-based franchise, scoring 108 runs, including one fifty.
"Cricket in India is so much more than being a sport, it's a culture, it's everything for the people" - Sam Billings
When asked what his favorite place to play cricket was, Sam Billings chose India. He explained that a person in England might or might not like cricket but over a billion people adore it in India which makes it special.
"For me, I think everything that goes with it, is playing cricket in India. It's something that people can't just get their head around if you haven't experienced it either as a fan or a player... An English person in London might say he doesn't really follow cricket or doesn't really like cricket, or that nobody kind of likes it, but 1.3 billion Indians absolutely adore and worship cricket," said Billings.
Sam Billings further cited an interesting analogy, saying that although not every Indian would recognize world-renowned footballer Harry Kane, someone like Jos Buttler would get 'absolutely mobbed' if he walked down the street in the country.
"If Harry Kane walked down the street in India people wouldn't have a clue who he is. But Jos Buttler goes down there and he gets absolutely mobbed. So it's just putting in the context that cricket in India is so much more than being a sport, it's a culture, it's everything for the people. The pandemonium that goes with it, whether it's the IPL [or anything] and that is actually to a different level," Billings concluded.