Skip to main content

THE CAPTAIN’S CALL

Amidst the thunderous applause that reverberated through the Wankhede on the night of 2nd, April, 2011, Mahendra Singh Dhoni emerged to hold aloft the object of a million prayers, the World Cup Trophy!

Having silenced every wagging tongue, with a Captains innings of 91*, the Indian skipper not only sealed his place amongst the greatest ever captains, but also won a billion hearts!

Over a 7 year period, the boy from Ranchi has come a long way from the swaggering long haired youngster to the new (bald!) but extremely self assured individual carrying the (thankless) mantle of the ‘Captain of the Indian Cricket Team’. The T20 World Cup victory, Victories galore with the CSK IPL team (both, the IPL as well as the CL-T20) and now the World Cup itself, and with numero uno annexed in both Tests and ODIs, Dhoni has taken Indian Cricket to the pinnacle of success!

… And so everyone wants a piece of Dhoni! (Just look at the no. of ads he features in right now: Reebok, Sonata, Pepsi, Aircel… and the list goes on!)

Dhoni has proven to be a great strategist, a Captain who thinks on his feet, be it gambling with Joginder Sharma in the last over of the T20 final against Pakistan or sticking his neck and picking Ashish Nehra in the semi final, Dhoni’s calls have shown to be refreshing and inspired at most times! Apart from Captaincy, Dhoni also continues as India’s premier keeper as well as a premier batsman.

For someone who believes that Dhoni’s always had a good degree of luck going for him, I admit that I’ve been made to swallow my words. After all, what’s luck without talent and hard work eh!?!

So, the inevitable question, ‘Is Dhoni the greatest ever Indian Captain?... Ahead of Kapil Dev and Saurav Ganguly?...’ That’s still a difficult comparison to make. As for Kapil, I’ve no opinion (as I haven’t seen him during his playing days), but in my book he ties with Ganguly for the top spot!

The reason is: Ganguly had to build the team; Dhoni consolidated and took it forward. Ultimately, whatever one may say, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has indeligibly etched his name in the history book!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Lost Sheep Of Modern Medicine

    In the mad rush of today’s outpatient department , even as I noted the duration of his cough and enquired about the tremulousness of his hand, I could , feel the ticking hands of the clock breathing down my neck. The corridor outside my tiny room was overflowing with the sick and the needy, ebbing with tales of pain and sorrow. They sat there pleading to be heard, hoping to be understood, and above all, praying to be cured. I felt overawed by this sheer deluge that was now at my doorstep, people, families from far and wide were here, having battled long queues and prolonged waiting lists running into months just to obtain this appointment. Would the next few minutes they spend with me put a name on their suffering, or would they still be wandering in the dark corridors of ambivalence, oscillating between hope and despair.  The next few minutes, that is all I have to understand this person’s elaborate story spanning a third of his life, a story of his pain in the arm , and
2 comments
Read more

ONE NIGHT AT THE DOCKS

This story was written back in 2010 as an entry for the Deccan Heral Short Story Competition. Back then I was a second year medical student, and was fascinated by diseases of the mind. Now having taken up Psychiatry as a specialization, I re read it, and I must say it's quite an accurate description( save for fictional liberty).  .................................................................................................................................................................. ‘Raman, how much exactly is eight times thirteen?’, I queried.  It was the fag end of the day, my feet were aching and I didn’t exactly pride myself with regards to my mathematical abilities. All I wanted was to tally the change, finish the cursory submission work and head home. ‘One hundred and four’, rapt came the reply. This boy had a sharp mind. Pity he didn’t put it to much use but to place bets at the bar that he’ll shortly be heading over to; to intoxicate himself to the point
1 comment
Read more

Book Review: The Mistress Of the Throne

An insight into the intriguing lives of the Mughal dynasty, especially their women and in particular their daughters... The Mistress of the Throne is a semi fictional memoir of  the unsung princess Jahanara and how she played a defining role in shaping India's history from behind the veils.  A powerful, independent and strong character, born  perhaps about 500 years ahead of time, her remarkable life, her vision and her sacrifices appear to be the less chronicled aspects of what undoubtedly was the Golden Era of the Mughal Rule. Her unparalleled love for her eccentric family is remarkable. As an adolescent she was thrust into the forefront of royal responsibilities soon after her mother , the legendary Mumtaz Mahal breathed her last, yet this Persian beauty wore the title of Shah Jahan 's Empress and that of a foster mother to her siblings with grace and dignity. The melancholy of her own life not withstanding, she was the will behind the Taj Mahal, thus immortalizing her p
1 comment
Read more