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'I was playing well but then saw Dhoni go to the bowler and say something': India batter on how MSD 'stressed him out'
IPL 2022: MS Dhoni has managed to outfox the opposition not only by his cricketing skills but also his mind, one example of which was shared by a young India batter.
Ample has been written and spoken about MS Dhoni the captain, batter and wicketkeeper, but Dhoni, the master of mind games is a topic that hasn't been touched upon too frequently. The fact that Dhoni is the only captain in history to have won all three major ICC titles cannot come with plain luck. There is a reason why Dhoni's beard turned grey in his early 30s and how he became India's most respected captain, and that is by always managing to be a step ahead of the opposition. (Also Follow: IPL 2022 Full Coverage)
That Dhoni is the second-most successful captain in the IPL having led Chennai Super Kings to four titles is a testament to his genius mind that is working 24/7. At times, he has managed to outfox the opposition not only by his cricketing skills but also his mind, one example of which was shared by India and Mumbai Indians youngster Ishan Kishan. The 23-year-old, who is a huge admirer of Dhoni and reveals that he often tries to read his mind, recalled when MSD's tactics were just too good for him.
"More than keeping I keep trying to figure out how his mind works. You won't believe… in one of the IPL games, it really stressed me out the most. I was playing well and hitting the bowlers. But then Dhoni bhai walked up to the bowler and said something. I couldn't hear what but he said something to Imran (Tahir) bhai. And in my mind, I'm wondering what Dhoni bhai has told him. I don't know what happened but there was a half-volley ball, which I drove but got out caught at short-third man. To date, I haven't figured out how a batter trying to drive a spinner gets caught at third man," Ishan told actor, television and cricket presenter Gaurav Kapur on his famous YouTube Show 'Breakfast with Champions'.
Ishan harked back to the time when he picked up valuable wicketkeeping lessons from Dhoni. For a change, Dhoni wasn't the reason behind Ishan becoming a wicketkeeper but upon bursting on to the scene, he did pick the former India captain’s brains in sharpening the trait.
"So from what we've observed about keeping, Our hands are usually straight but when there is an edge, it moves to the right. But he taught me that the hand movement should be only this much. That should be all the movement. Not just the wrist. It should go like this (semi-pendulum motion). Once this becomes a habit, you'll be able to catch even the thick edges," added Ishan.
