"Be there at the end and take responsibility" - Marcus Stoinis reveals finishing lessons from MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2022

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has revealed conversations with former Indian captain MS Dhoni and Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya about the art of finishing and how he's applied their suggestions to his game.

In a chat with Boria Majumdar on his YouTube channel RevSportz, Stoinis said he spoke to Dhoni after the IPL 2021 Qualifier 1 between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Delhi Capitals (DC). Dhoni's late blitz of 18 (6) saw CSK reach the final at the expense of DC.

Stoinis then remarked that by talking to Pandya he understood that lower-order batting requires a player to take the pressure as an opportunity. He added that Dhoni told him about his breathing techniques and how he controls his emotions.

Stoinis explained:

"Last year, I spoke to multiple different players that bat in that role, whether it's Hardik Pandya, you know, you understand that you've got to see those situations as an opportunity to win the game. I spoke to Dhoni a lot about it after one of our games where he actually beat Delhi [Capitals] nearly singlehandedly in one of the semi-finals. He spoke to me about the routine he goes through. How he sees the game, how he controls his breath, how he manages his emotions. So there's a lot that goes into it..."

Stoinis divulged what Dhoni told him about the different ways of approaching finishing and why the CSK captain likes to take the game deep.

He said:

"He just sort of said to me, 'The way you got to approach it is looking to be there at the end and take responsibility. There are different ways to do it [including] trying to score the runs early and finish the game in the 18th over.' But the risk that he feels [in that method] is that you leave it to someone else if you get out. And he said that you build that relationship with your team and the people batting around you..."

Stoinis feels that Dhoni is cognizant of his "art", where the opposition and even the crowd believe in his team's chances when he's at the crease. Moreover, according to Stonis, Dhoni doesn't even try to be calmer than the opposition but just maintains a level where he's at an advantage if someone panics. He said:

"And you can speak almost that this isn't just from him, the whole crowd, the opposition, everyone is thinking when Dhoni's at the ground, 'this game is not over', or that he's in control or that somehow this is going to plan even though it might not me. You need 20 off the last over and you think 'maybe he meant this'. I think that's the part of the art he's produced that he can have that influence over a big amount of people. And then he spoke about how to remain calm. He doesn't need to be 'calmer' or 'better' but in a situation where other people are panicking, he's just staying where he is and getting that advantage."

Stoinis played the role of a finisher at DC until last year. He amassed 441 runs in 24 innings at a strike rate of 142.71 for the Delhi-based franchise.

---

"Three years ago, I wanted to open the batting" - Marcus Stoinis

Stoinis also talked about his own journey to being among the world's best finishers. He revealed that he wanted to be an opener a few years ago but his coaches, including Ricky Ponting at DC, helped him find his feet in the lower order.

The 32-year-old explained:

"If you'd asked me three years ago, I wanted to open the batting, score most runs in the completion, put my stamp. And then it took coaches like Andrew McDonald, Trent Woodhill at the Melbourne Stars to show me the other side of finishing and describe to me how impactful can that be for the team and what they are looking for. And then under the tutelage of Ricky at Delhi, he told me a lot about how to read the game and how to see the different situations. So definitely in the last 2 years batting in the middle-order and that finishing role has become where I see my biggest value."

Stoinis has joined the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants as one of their three pre-season draft picks for IPL 2022. He'll be seen batting alongside Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya and Jason Holder in the middle and lower order in the upcoming season.