Mahendra Singh Dhoni is unarguably the most successful captain Team India ever had. It was under his leadership that Team India lifted the coveted ODI World Cup trophy in 2011. The hosts defeated Sri Lanka in the summit clash by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Apart from Dhoni, one person who also played a major role in India’s triumph was former South Africa batter Gary Kirsten, who was Team India’s head coach in 2011. Kirsten joined the Indian coaching setup in 2008 and took Team India to new heights. The former coach recently spoke about his partnership with Dhoni and called him a “standout leader”, who is always focused on the team’s growth.
“Any coach would want a group of players playing for the name on the front of the shirt and not the name on the back of the shirt. India is a tough place with a lot of hype around individual superstars, and you often get lost in what your own personal needs are,” said Kirsten during an interaction with Adam Collins on ‘The Final Word cricket podcast’ show on YouTube.
“And Dhoni meanwhile, was a standout as a leader as he was so focused on the team doing well, he wanted to win trophies and have great success for the team and he was very public about that. It pulled a lot of other guys into line in many ways. They didn’t just focus on themselves. And quite simply, Sachin started enjoying cricket as well,” he added.
Kirsten, who spent three years as the Indian coach, further called his journey with the Chennai Super Kings skipper an “incredible” one.
“MS and I formed the most unlikely partnership of captain-coach you will ever imagine in the international game, and we end up having this incredible journey together,” said Kirsten.
Dhoni called time on his international career on August 15, 2020, after playing 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is. Apart from this, he led Team India to three major ICC trophies like 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy.
The 41-year-old cricketer continues to lead Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and is currently gearing up for the 16th edition of the tournament. While he still remains a fan-favourite, the chances of him continuing to play in the T20 league beyond this season are fairly slim.
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