How MS Dhoni raised the profile of Bihar and Jharkhand

For most Indians, it seemed to be a quiet 74th Independence Day till 1928 hours. The next minute created a buzz, though.

Ending all speculations, former Indian captain MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket via an Instagram video.

Since then, everyone has been sharing their MS Dhoni story. Cricketers, writers and fans - they all have their own MS Dhoni moments, notwithstanding the fact that some of these very people had questioned the player's silence on the R-word.

My newsfeed on all the social media platforms has been flooded with MS Dhoni’s pictures, quotes and memories. Since then, I have been thinking if I should also join this bandwagon.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a selfie with MS Dhoni, nor have I ever met him. Can I tell anything that the world already doesn’t know about Mahi? The answer is no. Am I qualified enough to comment on the career of a legend? Yet again, the answer is no.

So, what am I doing here? I am just another Indian fan who has cherished MS Dhoni's success like millions of Indians. But is that enough to warrant a writeup? Thankfully, the answer is yes, this time.

I am from Bihar who was born in Dhanbad before the state of Jharkhand was formed. “Ah! there he goes, so he is connecting his Jharkhandi roots with MS Dhoni”, is what most of you might be thinking after reading this line.

Before your mind starts imagining things, let me tell you that I have stayed in Dhanbad only for the first four years of my life. Owing to my father’s transferable job, I have stayed in many states, but majority of my life has been spent in Mumbai. My visits to Bihar or Jharkhand have been limited to semi-yearly trips to my grandparents and other relatives.

This limited time spent in my home state has never stopped me from thinking about my Bihari roots. Yes, I love Mumbai from the time when it was Bombay, but I am still a proud Bihari.

So, you are from MS Dhoni’s state?

Sadly though, owing to the economic and social status of my home state over the last few decades, the Bihari tag has been the subject of many playful jokes. And my defense has been to talk about Samrat Ashok, Nalanda university or Tata.

This was till the time a certain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had made a mark for himself on the cricket pitch. His entry not only put his hometown Ranchi on the world cricket map, but it brought back a sense of pride to the tag of Bihari and Jharkhandi.

The moment MS Dhoni became a star, a mere mention of my birthplace would bring out the reaction, “So, you are from MS Dhoni’s state?”

Apna Dhoni babua kaamale kardees

Prima facie, it might seem a trivial thing, but not for any Bihari or Jharkhandi who has been craving for a national icon for quite some time.

Today, everyone from the two eastern states of India identify themselves with MS Dhoni. It does not matter if they don’t know him personally; he is the boy next door for them. His knocks and success have been celebrated with lines like:

“Apna Dhoni babua kaamale kardees!” (Our Dhoni guy did amazing!)

To have brought about this change in the narrative of my home state has been the impact that MS Dhoni has had on me. I thank him from the core of my heart for this, and thankfully his retirement will not change that footprint which he has carved out.

Borrowing lines from the sequel to the song that MS Dhoni chose in his retirement video, I would just like to say to him:

“Rishton ka roop badalta hai, Buniyadein khatam nahin hoti,

Khwaboon ki aur umango ki, Miyadein khatam nahin hoti,

Ek phool mein tera roop basa, Ek chehra teri nishaani hai

Tu har ek pal ka shayar hai.”

PS - This shouldn't be mistaken for a regionalistic propaganda or question mark on our national integrity. We are proud Indians first before belonging to a particular state or town.