India coach Ravi Shastri on Sunday praised former India captain MS Dhoni for his contributions to Indian cricket. Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday via an Instagram post. The right-handed wicketkeeper batsman was regarded as the most successful captain of India - having won the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
“This man is second to none. And coming from where he did he changed cricket for all times to come. And his beauty is he did it in all formats,” Ravi Shastri was quoted as saying by India Today.
“T-20- he has won a world cup and multiple IPL titles. 50 overs- he has won a world cup. Test cricket- he has taken India to the number one position in the world. Played 90 Test matches,” he added.
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“And he always took life as it came. From his days in Kharagpur to his days as an Indian cricketer he was always in the moment. And in retirement also he has moved on. As I said he is second to none,” Shastri further added.
Shastri further went on to praise Dhoni for his “natural” wicketkeeping skills and said that his speed behind the stumps added to his aura.
{{/usCountry}}Shastri further went on to praise Dhoni for his “natural” wicketkeeping skills and said that his speed behind the stumps added to his aura.
{{/usCountry}}“As a wicket keeper he was not a natural but was effective as hell. Look at the impact he had. For me what stood out was his stumpings and his run outs. He had such fast hands that he was at times faster than any pickpocket. The batsman wouldn’t even realise that Dhoni had taken the bails off and that’s something that added to his aura,” Shastri said.
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“In any life of cricket’s greatest, not greats but the greatest, you have to include this man. As I said in my tweet I will always have fond memories of him,” Shastri added.
While fans may not see Dhoni play again in the Indian blue jersey, he will still don his yellow Chennai Super Kings jersey when the 13th edition of Indian Premier League season kicks off from September 19th. Dhoni has led CSK to three titles in the past, and even though the IPL will take place in UAE this year, Dhoni’s team will still enter as one of the favourites.