MS Dhoni’s humility sets him apart from every other cricketer, states Mohit Sharma
Indian pacer Mohit Sharma, who played under MS Dhoni for both CSK and the Indian national team, stated that it is the Jharkhand man’s humility and sense of gratitude that sets him apart from the rest. Sharma lauded Dhoni for always taking responsibility and branded him a ‘true leader’.
When a 25-year-old Mohit Sharma made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2013, the Haryana-born pacer was still an unknown entity in Indian cricket. However, under the entrusted leadership of MS Dhoni, the pacer soon became one of the most promising bowlers in the IPL and staggeringly picked 43 wickets in his first two seasons in the competition.
Eventually, Mohit translated his IPL success into international cricket and went on to play for India in the 2015 World Cup, completing a pace trio that comprised Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami.
Reflecting on his time under Dhoni, Mohit stated that he considers himself lucky to have spent a vast majority of his playing days under the leadership of the wicket-keeper and added that it was the Jharkhand man’s humility that set him apart from the rest of the players and captains.
“I feel blessed that I got to play almost 70-80% of my cricket under MS Dhoni, whether it was for India or for CSK,” Mohit Sharma was quoted as saying by Delhi Capitals in an official release.
“His humility and sense of gratitude is what sets him apart from other players I have played with.”
Mohit, who played 34 international games for India between 2013 and 2015 and almost exclusively played under the captaincy of Dhoni, branded the former Indian skipper a ‘true leader’ and revealed that the 38-year-old wicket-keeper always was willing to shoulder responsibility and take the blame every time his side came out on the wrong end.
“In sport, there’s a difference between a captain and a leader – I believe he’s a true leader. When the team wins, you’ll never find him anywhere prominently, but when the team loses, he’s always right in front, taking responsibility – that’s the sign of a leader and why I admire him so much.”
With rumors flying around about ICC potentially legalizing ball-tampering and maybe even allowing the usage of vaseline to alter the condition of the ball, the 31-year-old pacer gave his own take on the issue and opined that he would be okay with any decision that’s eventually made.
“It will be interesting to see what decision is made. Every bowler has their personal choices in this matter. I don’t use a lot of saliva for shining the ball, in fact, these days umpires don’t let bowlers use too much saliva. I would be okay with using sweat as well to shine the ball.”