One of the world’s most successful cricket captains, MS Dhoni, announced his retirement from international cricket on 15th August, India’s Independence Day. It not only shocked his millions of fans around the world but also disappointed his teammates and the cricketing fraternity.
Highlights
- Under MS Dhoni’s captainship, India won T20i World Cup in 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.
- He announced his retirement from international cricket on 15th August 2020.
- During the 2012 Australia tour, he went to see a Bollywood movie in Burwood followed by a dinner in Harris Park in Sydney’s west.
MS Dhoni silently and calmly walked off the field leaving behind many memorable moments for his fans to cherish and said goodbye to international cricket.
Known as Captain Cool on the field, many of his fans know him as a calm and down to earth person off the field as well.
There are many stories to tell and one of those took place in Sydney when he captained the Indian cricket team that toured Australia in 2012.
Dhoni asked a local journalist to take him to the movie
During that tour, having lost the test series against the host by 4-0, Dhoni asked one of the local journalists to take him for a Bollywood movie in Sydney to reset and recharge for the upcoming One Day and T20i series,
It was in January 2012, Gaurav Joshi, a Sydney based freelance journalist and cricket commentator, found himself suddenly in an interesting company.
MS Dhoni fields during the 2019 Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and India at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, southern England, on June 5, 2019. Source: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images
“I was covering India’s tour of Australia in 2012 and one such day, I was talking to the Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav and he (Umesh) asked me if I could take him to watch a movie," he said.
"I accepted his request and we planned to watch a Bollywood movie”.
We were at the hotel lobby and saw MS Dhoni coming. When he came to know about our plan, he surprisingly asked – where is my invite?
“I was surprised by his question and replied to him, if you also want to come, we have some spare tickets.”
Dhoni had one condition…
The two-time world cup champion captain MS Dhoni’s immediately showed that his reputation as a calm and down to earth personality was well deserved. Gaurav said, “Before we went for a movie, he put one condition and I had to oblige”.
His condition was not to see him as MS Dhoni – an Indian cricket team captain or a celebrity, just treat him as a normal person.
“I was shocked but accepted his condition and, then he joined us for a movie”.
“When we were on our way to the cinema hall in Burwood in Sydney, I asked him, if he would allow my cousin to join us as I had one more spare ticket”, Gaurav added.
Captain Cool Dhoni questioned him in his classic humorous style:
Source: Gaurav Joshi
“We (India) just lost to Australia by 4-0, so how big and tall is your cousin? If he hits, grabs or abuses me nobody could save me,” Gaurav quoted Dhoni.
When he met Gaurav's five feet, five inches tall cousin, he had a sigh of relief and said in Hindi, "Ye to chotu hai, abhi tension nahi hai mujhe" (He is too small, I do not need to worry).
Enjoyed Hindi movie – Agneepath
Gaurav, along with his cousin, Indian pace bowler Umesh Yadav and Captain MS Dhoni watched the Bollywood film Agneepath at a cinema in Burwood in Sydney.
When Gaurav asked them to park the car on the street instead of in the car park, MS (Dhoni) promptly agreed and told his teammate Umesh Yadav that, “We should always trust a local person. He knows more about the local condition than us and it applies to cricket as well.”
We might be an expert of the game, but the local person always has some extra knowledge, Dhoni advised others.
You bought movie tickets, I will buy the popcorn
When they went into the cinema hall, MS Dhoni said to Gaurav that since he bought the movie tickets: “It’s now my turn to buy popcorn and coke for you!”
“He went and bought coke and popcorn for everybody in the group,” Gaurav recalled.
During the movie, a few people recognized him and took photos as well.
'Authentic' Indian dishes
“After the movie, I asked him about dinner plans and he (Dhoni) wanted to have some authentic Indian food so we went to a restaurant in Harris Park in Sydney’s west.”
“We enjoyed the food and talked a lot on various topics other than cricket,” Gaurav Joshi said.
Gaurav Joshi visited MS Dhoni's house in Ranchi in India. Source: Gaurav Joshi
Dhoni the keen observer
“While they roamed around Sydney’s suburbs after dinner, Gaurav saw Dhoni's observing quality.”
He saw the names of the suburbs like Strathfield, Burwood, Liverpool and he quickly realised that names of many suburbs in Australia are very similar to suburbs in England.
“I noticed, he always keeps his eyes wide open on and off the field,
“Apart from that, he is a very practical person, he understands a person’s strengths, weaknesses and intentions just after meeting him for five minutes,” Gaurav said.
India's MS Dhoni during a nets session at Headingley Carnegie, Leeds. Source: Press Association
See you at the press conference, said Dhoni
When Gaurav dropped Dhoni off at the hotel, he said, “See you in a couple of days at the press conference where you will ask me questions and I will give you an answer.”
“Dhoni’s ability to act according to the situation has made him one of the world’s most successful cricketers and captains,” Gaurav said.
