An Ode to Dhoni- The Leader

In cricket, more than most sports, the role of a captain is immense. Bowling changes, field set-ups, team selections, combined with the fact that strategy constantly changes over the span of a game means that a captain is much more than just a good player in the sport. In cricket, a captain must be a leader, a motivator, a conduit between the management and players The Indian cricket team, over the years has been blessed with some great leaders, and undoubtedly Mahendra Singh Dhoni will go down as one of the best among them, in the limited-overs formats at the very least. 

Dhoni’s captaincy had many facets that many would dream of, but the centerpiece of his glorious leadership career was undoubtedly the ability to remain calm and composed in the face of pressure. Unflappable, unfazed and stoic on the surface, Dhoni exuded composure and confidence in every situation, which was why his decision-making was almost always on-point. His attitude also rubbed off on the young squad he was leading and mentoring, as evidenced by how good the team got in chasing down the targets, especially when the stakes were high. He helped develop a strong mentality among the  young crop of players. Dhoni was a fantastic man-manager too. Taking over the reins at the time of transition, when the older core was in the twilight of their careers, Dhoni managed the team with aplomb. Instead of stamping his authority immediately, he took his time to make the bigger changes and put aside any ego to learn the ropes from the more experienced hands in the dressing room. Sachin Tendulkar claimed Dhoni was the best captain he had played under. After the 2011 World Cup triumph, he said: "He is very sharp and always alert. He reads the situation well and is open to sharing ideas. He always has discussions with bowlers, batsmen, and senior players separately.” 

His captaincy was criticized as too defensive for the format, using attacking bowlers like Ashwin to stem the flow of runs instead of getting wickets. He preferred a 7 batsmen- 4 bowler lineup, which caused the team to struggle to bowl out opposition and he was very rigid in his team selections too, putting faith in players out of form, as the test team struggled to win consistently. His tactical flaws were brutally exposed in the whitewashes against England and Australia, as well as the lowest point in Indian cricket’s recent history, an embarrassing home defeat to England. England’s spinners completely outclassed their Indian counterparts as England ran out 2-1 winners. That defeat left a permanent mark on Dhoni as he eventually retired from Test cricket in the middle of the Australia series to prolong his limited-overs career. 

Dhoni will always have a prominent place in the Indian cricketing history as a visionary and fantastic leader. His flaws could not tarnish his legacy, but cement it as someone who changed the mentality of the Indian cricket. A quote by German-American printer and journalist John Zenger sums up what made Dhoni a fantastic captain, “Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.”