This is the second one. This is not exactly a blog. I remembered this post, which I made about an year ago, on Facebook. Why not share this here too? After all, I am an avid Dhoni Fan, and it proves him justice if I put this right at the top of the pile. Unedited, so there can be mistakes, and more importantly, this was written before Dhoni actually retired, so, the stats are bit exaggerated or less at times. That's all, enjoy the read. One more thing, this is fictional and hence is inspired by a number of real interviews by MSD. I didn't find all the original sources, but I found this interview. DO check it out as well.
If you want, you can play the music up above. Just a melody.
The legend has retired.
Well, an year ago, I had to write something up for my English project. And I wrote this.
If you got enough time to go through "just another fan saying all good words about his idol", please give it a go. 2777 words are pretty high. I believe you won't be disappointed.Thanks from the very beginning.
A fan of his once wrote,
“देखों क्रीज़ पे टिके अभी खारे हम हैं
हम हैं ज़माना, ज़माने से न हम हैं,
सारे गए पुराने, पर देखो नै हम हैं”
“Dekhon kreez pe tike abhee khaare ham hain
Hum hain zamaana, zamaane se na ham hain,
Saare gae puraane, par dekho nai ham hain”
And probably today is the day when all those ‘हैं’s shall be replaced by ‘थे’s, as a maestro of the game, a versatile genius and a towering figure in the world of the ‘gentleman’s game’ fades away to the world of ‘eternity’. The PadmaShri, the PadmaBhushan, the master-mind of the game, and the heartthrob of millions of Indian fans around the world, Dr. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stepped down from the world of international glory. And he did it in style, through a single Twitter video. As every Indian still remembers that wonderfully hit six over mid-on - a stroke of majesty and triumph to close the deal lifting a heavy burden from the shoulders of millions of Indians, MS and me run down to a restaurant down the street to have a fine conversation on his retirement from the game. As of always, ‘running’ with him was not at all easy.
Me : So, Sir, you are off from all formats of the game. I believe most of the people around the world shall get this news tomorrow morning, and I don’t think you have any thoughts about deleting that post from your account.
MS : Absolutely, no. It took me a lot of time in the first place itself. I mean, you could see that pressing that small glistening button at the very corner of the tab, would actually make things matter.
Me : So, Sir, how has your journey been emotionally? Your hands must have shaken until the very last moment, didn’t it?
MS : That happens. That happens when you are that much attached to your game. And as of always, I think a lot of the immediate future. “Sir, please don’t retire”, “Finally that old man has retired”, I could see all those tweets running up through my mind. But, I cannot remain standing evergreen on that velvety grass. My job was to get the team right and then move away. I don’t believe in deserting when the chips are down. So, yeah, pretty tough, but family-support and all, made the difficult task easy.
Me : Now that you are no more a part of the Indian squad, what are you going to miss?
MS : A lot, I must say. I believe it is the friendliness, the atmosphere that I shall cherish the most. And as I always keep telling my teammates, being a team, and remaining a team are different things altogether. I can tell you, when you enter any dressing room session, you will never understand that these humble down-to-earth people are among the finest bunch of cricketers on this planet. So, shifting this nostalgia to the very corner of my mind would be one of the toughest things in my post-retirement life.
Me : 10,963 runs in ODI Cricket, 4,876 runs in Test Cricket, 1,829 runs in T20 cricket, 27 Test wins, 110 ODI wins, and 41 T20 wins, 652 international catches and 195 stumps, what will the young but incredible Indian side miss at the unavailability of this legend?
MS : Nothing. This Indian side is remarkable. Cricket is teamwork, and balance in the team can neither be attained by a single player, neither imbalance. The team has the best top-order batsmen, and the best strikeline bowlers. Seniors like Virat and Rohit are leading from the front, so why tither? And the balance is visible, at least in home conditions.
Me : As you talked about Virat and Rohit, what is the basic difference between them as a captain?
MS : Rohit is a very tactical person. He’s so tactical that we need hours to actually figure out his tactics. In that way, Virat is easier. He just takes DRS and cries later. (Laughs) Jokes apart, both of them are equally good as captains. But what Virat is for the longer format, Rohit is for the shorter format.
Me : Tell us something about your position in the middle-order, as a finisher. You were finesse, and nobody can explain the task of a finisher better than you.
MS : The problem for the finisher is that, too often, there is not much else to come. The big shot is not necessarily the best or smartest shot. What matters is staying in. I am never in a hurry. My aim is to leave it till the bowler and I are on level ground, i.e. to the point at which he is under as much pressure as me. Then we see who can handle it. And most crucially, to stay humble. Assume nothing. Each day is different. I always tell the team that today somebody will be a hero. You have the chance, go and take it.
Me : When did it first come to you that you could as well turn out to be a fine leader?
MS : Well, I remember playing in a senior district match, long before I ever captained a team. I was bowling and one of the team dropped a catch and then, with a couple of others, laughed about it like they couldn’t care less. Between overs I told them to stand together, well out of the way, and laugh all they like. I said the rest of us will get on with taking the wickets.I suppose that suggests I wanted to be the leader. Time allows you to learn to read the game and then you work out the direction you think a team should take. After that, you decide on the process and if you get the job, you put it in place. So we are back with the process, where we began two hours ago.
Me : I have one big question coming to my head? You have all those feathers under your cap, but why don’t you remain at the front during those trophy photographs?
MS : No, but don’t you think that it’s unfair that you play a teamsport where the captain goes and receives the trophy? So that itself is you know, it’s like an over-exposure, so you already have an over-exposure of about 15 seconds, you know, so after that, I don’t think you’re really needed to be there. Of course, we all love the celebration and want to be part of but it’s not like you have to be with the trophy. That’s why in any team I have played, I try to make it as equal as possible and as I said, 15 seconds of over-exposure is all I have to cling to the trophy, and maybe if you don’t spend enough time with the trophy you get a chance or you want to win another one so that you get those another 15 seconds again, but I feel it was a over-exposure part where the whole team that has done well, it’s not up to one individual and when you let others in, you know, there are plenty of youngsters who want to celebrate.
Me : And talking about the three formats, which one did you enjoy the most? People often say that Test is too slow and stuff, what are your viewpoints?
MS : The best thing about Test cricket is you cannot hide in Test cricket. The challenge of Test cricket is unmatched by anything else in my experience. I love the planning and the strategy, the requirements of patience and consistency and the chance of recovery. But I get bored playing on a dead pitch. Pitches should have their indigenous qualities exaggerated. Spin in India, pace and bounce in Australia, seam and swing in England. To survive in the modern era, the game needs results, not draws. I am a fan of the 50- over game – because it bridges the gap. Test cricket and T20 are too far apart; 50 overs is an important format.
Me : Which was the proudest moment of your life, the World Cup triumph, carrying your idol on your shoulders?
MS : Yes, winning the World Cup was very special because it meant so much to so many. One thing about our country that is constant is cricket. The smile it brought to people’s faces was the thing I shall always remember. It reminded me, reminded all of us, of our importance to the lives of the Indian people less lucky than we are.
But personally, no. The proudest moment of my own life was the day I accepted my ranks at the Pipping Ceremony. From when I was a young boy, I read books on weapons and tanks and combat. I was so interested in the army. Then later, my profile as an Indian cricketer allowed me access to the real thing so I spent time with soldiers, learning about their lives and sacrifices. I had friends in the Special Forces and heard their stories of missions, the risks they take, and the commitment they must have to succeed. I met the chief of the Army Staff and told him about my lifelong fascination with the military. I asked if it was possible to become involved myself. Incredible as it may seem, he took a recommendation through various channels that finished up with the President of the country. The result of all this is that I became an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Parachute Regiment. I love my country. I tell my wife she is only the third most important thing after my country and my parents, in that order. The point is that till the time I was an Indian cricketer, I devoted myself to that cause. Cricket is not everything, not by any means, but it is a large part of who I am.
Me : Now that you have hanged your boots, how have you planned to change your lifestyle?
MS : Probably the answer to your question is, maybe… the Army. Army, yes, a big part of it. A new method to serve your nation until you are old enough. Alongside, I would like to build some academies, to provide facilities and opportunities for the young. And maybe stay home with Mr and Mrs D. Why not? Our culture emphasizes on that. We look after our parents when they get old as they looked after us when we were young. With time, Sakshi’s request to come up second in my order of priorities may be granted.(Laughs)
Me : And how do you turn life away from the game?
MS : Songs.70’s and 80’s stuff mainly, it had more meaning to it then, the songs were deeper and more patriotic. I like reggae too, the beat works for me. And hand in hand, come those vrooming engines. I love them all, expensive, cheap, old and new. My collection of 37 beauties. A Harley Fat Boy. A Ducati Pantah, a Hellcat – one of the confederate motorcycles from the US, some ancient two-strokes, Triumphs, even an old BSA, I like all of them.
Me : And you love riding all of them at times?
MS : Well sometimes, but actually, I like to polish them. I’ll tell you a story. When I was a boy, one of our senior players used to position his beautiful bike behind me and then hit balls at me to catch. If I missed one and it hit the bike, I had to fix up the mark. Therefore I learned not to miss many. I’ve either been polishing bikes or trying to cling on to catches pretty much ever since!
Me : Legends like Laxman, Sehwag and Sachin have said that you were their favourite captain. Faulkner and Mitch Johnson feel that you are the most destructive batsman to face. Our present captain, Virat, is also an ardent devotee of yours. What ideological ambition of yours leads, or sums up to that charisma?
MS : I am a proud believer of the phrase that honesty is truly the best policy. And, I believe in the process more than the result. If you are properly prepared, physically and mentally, committed to the task and fully engaged in the moment, then I have no problem with the outcome. It is not about 95 per cent at this level and with this much exposure, it is about 100 per cent. A dropped catch is fine if you were focused and in the moment. It becomes a problem to me if you are not. I live for the moment, not the past, not the future. And I don’t believe in stats about players not being able to shine at specific fields or against specific bowlers or batsmen. People ask me about my remaining ambitions. They are simple. I want to serve my country in the best possible way. I want the Indian people to be proud of us.
Me : People tomorrow maybe will face the worst news that they have ever in quite a few years. Tweets shall flood in. But do the fans have something to take home as the last words of their idol?
MS : For the fans, I must say, they have been the finest pack of individuals I have ever met. Till the very moment I was a cricketer, I could never express my emotions of getting out onto the field and finding thousands and thousands of mobile phone flashlights lighting up my way. And thanks for backing me, supporting me, and catapulting into the stardom of which I am no more a part of. Thanks for backing us when we were ousted from the IPLs in 2016. And for cricket, I have only one last message, “A perfect smile is too often missing from the faces of the world. If cricket can provide more smiles, it is doing its job.”
Udvas Basak