His cool and calm presence behind the stumps has been a constant for Team India over the past decade and half. Dhoni’s assured presence as a leader of men, even after giving up captaincy, has been a comforting factor for the bowlers over the years. A calculative mind, Dhoni has seldom let emotions get the better of him on the field. This has resulted in him being regarded as the finest limited overs captain of all-time, the only skipper to have won all three major ICC trophies.
But those who have played with him have seen more than what we have seen on television or from the stands or press box. Dhoni after all is a human and there have been occasions when emotions have come through. After India pacer Mohammed Shami and former all-rounder Irfan Pathan narrated incidents when the captain cool wasn’t so cool, former India opener Gautam Gambhir too recalled a couple of instances when Dhoni could not control his emotions.
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Gautam Gambhir, who has shared the dressing room with Dhoni for years, revealed a couple of instances during the 2007 T20 World Cup and in the IPL when Dhoni lost his cool.
“People say that they have never seen him lose his cool, but I have on a couple of times. It was during the 2007 World Cup and in other World Cups when we haven’t done well. He’s human and he’s bound to react as well. It’s absolutely fair enough to do that. Even at CSK, if there’s a misfield or if someone has dropped a catch. Yes, he’s cool, he’s probably much cooler than the rest of the other captains. Much cooler than me for sure!” Gambhir said.
{{/usCountry}}“People say that they have never seen him lose his cool, but I have on a couple of times. It was during the 2007 World Cup and in other World Cups when we haven’t done well. He’s human and he’s bound to react as well. It’s absolutely fair enough to do that. Even at CSK, if there’s a misfield or if someone has dropped a catch. Yes, he’s cool, he’s probably much cooler than the rest of the other captains. Much cooler than me for sure!” Gambhir said.
{{/usCountry}}Gambhir was a star performer in Dhoni’s team, playing crucial roles in the 2007 WT20 and the 2011 ICC World Cup. He would square up against MSD in the IPL whenever Kolkata Knight Riders locked horns with Chennai Super Kings.