New Delhi: Charismatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the “most inspirational captain” of international cricket in the last 50 years, along with legends Englands Michael Brearley, Australians Ian Chappell and Mark Taylor, and Clive Lloyd of the West Indies, says Aussie great Greg Chappell in an exclusive interview with IANS without mincing words.
Clearly mightily impressed by Dhoni’s game, Chappell, who was India coach during the first two years of Dhoni’s international career (2005-2007), also revealed that the wicket-keeper-batsman “exceeded” all his expectations and was “best Indian captain that I have seen”.
Chappell, 72, said that Dhoni had “immense skills” and loved to compete. He disclosed that he would throw many challenges at him and the Indian would love to live up to those, on way to becoming “one of the great all-rounders of his era”.
On the lighter side, the legendary Aussie revealed that he enjoyed Dhoni’s “humour and cheeky manner”.
Dhoni, the only captain globally to win ICC 50-over World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and the ICC T20 World Cup, has 50-plus success percentage as captain in One-day Internationals and T20 Internationals while in Test matches it is 45.
And in IPL, the mercurial cricketer from Ranchi has captained Chennai Super Kings to the title three times since the tournament’s inception in 2008.
He retired from international cricket this month after captaining India in 60 of the 90 Tests he played, 200 of the 350 ODIs, and 72 of the 98 T20 Internationals he appeared in between 2005 and 2019.
He, however, continues to lead Chennai Super Kings.
Dhoni, who turned 39 last month, played on his terms and retired on his terms, even though some people rather charitably opined that he was dragging along.
Perhaps, he wanted to compete one last time in a T20 World Cup, which was originally scheduled to take place in Australia this year, before being postponed due to coronavirus.
The trophy cabinet of Dhoni is overflowing.
The Indian government conferred on him the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour of the country, in 2018, and the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, in 2009.
Besides, Dhoni won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the most prestigious sports accolade of India, in 2007.
The Indian Territorial Army conferred on him the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2011. Apart from these, he won many ICC awards. (IANS)
