Recommended Dhoni as captain after observing his cricketing brain, reveals Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, who played a key part in Dhoni being named the captain of India for WT20 2007, has revealed that he recommended the wicket-keeper’s name after observing his intelligence whilst standing in the slip cordon. Sachin further revealed that he and Dhoni were like-minded thinkers.
On September 14, 2007, a 26-year-old MS Dhoni led the Indian cricket team out for the first time in his career and the rest, as they say, is history. Dhoni, after being named the captain of a young side in the absence of senior figures, led team India to the maiden ICC World T20 Trophy in 2007, after which he also delivered the country the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy titles.Â
What’s not spoken about enough, however, is how Dhoni landed the role in the first place. It was strong words from senior cricketers, not least Sachin Tendulkar, which convinced the selectors to name Dhoni the skipper and while not getting into details, the Master Blaster said that he recommended the wicket-keeper’s name to the selectors (for captaincy) after observing his cricketing brain while standing next to him in the slip cordon.
"I wouldn't get into details how it happened but yes I did say when I was asked (by the senior BCCI people) as to what do I think," Tendulkar recollected during an interview to PTI.
"I had mentioned that I won't be going to SA as I was carrying a few injuries... But back then, I used to stand in the slip cordon and I used to interact with MS and understand what he was thinking, the field setting and I would discuss all those aspects.
"I observed his match reading and I came to a conclusion that he had a good cricketing brain so I suggested to the board that this is what I feel. MS should be the next one to take charge.”
Sachin was not the greatest of captains - his results as skipper indicate the same - but the Little Master, however, had a shrewd cricketing brain which helped him and his side outwit opponents. Speaking about Dhoni, the 47-year-old revealed that he observed that the Jharkhand man’s thought process during a game mirrored his own ideas. And this, according to Sachin, was also why he recommended the wicket-keeper batsman’s name to the selectors.
"Whatever I was thinking and whatever he thought, we were more or less on the same page. If I have to convince you about something, I have to be on your page and that is exactly what happened with MS. We both were thinking alike and that's why I suggested he should be the one."
Despite all three of Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble taking up leadership roles through the 2000s, Sachin strictly stuck to his role, which was to contribute to the team to the best of his abilities. The 47-year-old made it clear that he had no aspirations to become a captain after he gave up the leader’s armband in 2000.
"I can only speak for myself that I didn't have any aspirations to become captain. I can tell you that I was not wanting to become captain and what I wanted was to go out and win every match for the team.
"For that whoever the captain was, I was going to give 100 percent all the time and whatever I feel are the right things to do, I was going to tell that person. Then the decision becomes captain's but it becomes our duty to take the load off him."