MS Dhoni - In the captain we trust

In 2010 he led India to the Asia Cup title, a trophy that had eluded India for 15 years. But his finest hour was yet to come. With the 2011 World Cup preparations in full swing, it was India’s best chance to win on home soil. And so it proved right as Dhoni led the team through initial hiccups to the World Cup title, India’s first since 1983 and the nation was jubilant. The world was literally at Dhoni’s feet. Not only had he made the dreams of a nation come true, but also of one particular individual – Sachin Tendulkar. Throughout the tournament, the captain made some gutsy decisions which all paid off.

When Nehra was clobbered against South Africa , everyone called for him to be dropped. But Dhoni had confidence in him and persisted with him in the semifinal against Pakistan. Nehra repaid the skipper’s confidence with a magnificent spell of bowling that stifled the Pakistani chase and ultimately proved vital in the win. In the final, when India were at a precarious position with 3 wickets down, Dhoni took it upon himself to come up the order and see out the difficult phase. He then went on to play one of the most magnificent innings on the grandest stage of them all and it was only fitting that he ended the tie with a monster six.

With all this success came all the mega money endorsement deals and awards. Dhoni was now one of the most bankable athletes in the world and the face of almost every product imaginable. It was at this point though that things started turning sour. Following the high of the World Cup win, subsequent tours to England and Australia saw India not only losing the numero uno status, but also suffering embarrassing whitewashes in the Test series. Suddenly, the heat was turned up on the skipper and everybody called for his head. The world was crashing around Dhoni as people accused him of blatant favouritism of some players and of being instrumental in the dropping of certain senior pros in the team.

But yet again, MSD was as cool as a cucumber, letting his actions on the field define him. A recent whitewash of Australia and regaining the coveted Border Gavaskar trophy has kept his critics at bay for now. But knowing the fickle nature of the Indian media and fans, those opinions may change. Dhoni himself said that in a few months’ time, all this success will be forgotten. Harvey Dent, in the movie ‘The Dark Knight’ memorably said that, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. In Dhoni’s case, this holds very true. After all the initial euphoria, he is now under intense scrutiny from the media which is ready to pounce upon his smallest of flaws.

The recent spot-fixing controversy in the IPL has now put Dhoni in a very uncomfortable position. As the face of Indian cricket, he is being questioned almost incessantly. He has responded with a stoic silence. For that, he is now being crucified and called a puppet of the all-powerful BCCI. What the media and fans do not understand is that Dhoni has always shown single-minded focus in his thought process. His only ambition and goal in life as the Indian cricket team’s captain, is to win every trophy and accolade for the team. Even now, on the eve of the last ever Champions Trophy, he wants India’s name to be etched on the trophy. And yet, the media still persecute him and make him a target in issues that are our of his power. The injustice of the situation is plain to see. Let him concentrate on what he does best and let the law take its due course.