If cricketers were F.R.I.E.N.D.S. characters

Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Phoebe Buffay

Having spent her childhood out on the streets, Phoebe Buffay develops an esteemed value system and an undying attitude of positivity towards life. Not swaying to the temptations that the world had to offer, Phoebe maintained her own self with confidence and honesty, being clear about her needs and desires.

Defined by quirkiness and a street-smart cheekiness, she can well on course be equated to Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who too found a way in the ugly world of stardom from the small by-lanes of Ranchi.

Dhoni’s comments behind the stump mic, where he chastised Sreesanth’s lacklustre fielding with a "Oye Sree udhar girlfriend nahi hai, idhar aa ja thoda” (Hey Sree, your girlfriend isn't there. Come ahead a bit) or his perfect ploy to outfox Michael Clarke which worked wonders, showed Dhoni as a well aware individual who knew how to get the best from his team-mates. Imbibing Phoebe’s ability to remain calm under pressure, Dhoni developed an admirable attitude of refraining from taking the sport and the losses and wins it brings too seriously. He developed his own hobby when the cricket field was not his den, like Phoebe, who turned towards singing in her spare moments.

Grabbing onto moments and believing in one’s own intuitions paved the way for the two risk takers to succeed in dealing with life. Dhoni’s bold move to give Joginder Sharma the last over in the T20 World Cup Final a decade ago or promoting himself up the order in the 2011 World Cup Final shows a strange belief in one’s abilities, which is a replica of Phoebe’s conviction in her songs and singing.

The duo remains honest to their closest friends and do not fear from criticising them even in the public eye. Yet, Phoebe’s selflessness is brought to the fore when she admits being the surrogate mother of her step-brother and gives birth to twins in a pregnancy that took a toll on her.

Dhoni, too, has over the years, sacrificed his preferred batting position to groom the youngsters for tougher times ahead. Despite their overtly displays of strong will, both Phoebe and Dhoni remain widely emotional. This was seen when 'Priness Consuela Bananahammock' takes efforts to find her father, or when Dhoni shed a few tears after India lifted the World title after a span of 28 years!