"I'm on national duty" - When MS Dhoni reacted to Ziva being born while he was leading India in the 2015 ODI World Cup
There have been instances of players skipping international matches for personal reasons, but MS Dhoni, who led India in the 2015 ODI World Cup, didn't fly back even after his daughter Ziva was born. Of course, cricketers deciding whether to play or be with their family during this special period is a personal choice and shouldn't be questioned. Dhoni's decision to keep playing, though, won hearts.
The Indian cricket legend captained the Men in Blue to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup. India went into the 2015 One-Day World Cup played in Australia and New Zealand as the defending champions. The ICC event began on February 14, while Dhoni's daughter Ziva was born on February 6.
At one of the press conferences during the 2015 World Cup, the then Indian captain was asked if he would be flying back home to see his bundle of joy. The Ranchi-born cricketer humbly replied:
"Baby daughter [has been born]. Mom and daughter both are good. But, as of now, I am on national duty, so I think everything else can wait. World Cup is a very important campaign."
Before the 2015 ODI World Cup, India played four Tests in Australia as a part of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy [Dhoni retired after the third Test] and also featured in a tri-series, with England as the third team.
How Dhoni-led India fared in the 2015 ODI World Cup?
The Men in Blue made a sensational start to their World Cup defense. They topped Group B by winning six of six matches.
India kicked off their campaign with a 76-run win over arch-rivals Pakistan in Adelaide before getting the better of South Africa by 130 runs, UAE by nine wickets, West Indies by four wickets, Ireland by eight wickets and Zimbabwe by six wickets.
India met Bangladesh in the quarter-final in Melbourne and registered a thumping 109-run victory as opener Rohit Sharma led the way with 137 off 126, smashing 14 fours and three sixes. The Men in Blue's campaign, though, ended the semi-finals with a defeat to eventual champions Australia in Sydney.
Australia batted first in the knockout clash and put up 328-7 as Steve Smith starred with 105 off 93.
In response, the Men in Blue folded up for 233 in 46.5 overs despite Dhoni's run-a-ball 65. His knock featured three fours and two sixes and ended when he was run-out by a direct hit from Glenn Maxwell.