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| Cometh the hour, cometh the Man..!! |
“Dhoniii finishes off
in style…Into the crowd and India win the World Cup after 28 years..” - These
words in Ravi Shastri’s booming baritone still rings fresh in the minds of
millions of Indian cricket fans across the globe. I of course was one of them, jumping off my chair;
flaying my hands wildly, pumping my chests like a gorilla and screaming swear
words into the sky at the top of my lungs to no one in particular. Yes, that was the effect exactly 365 days ago
when Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni nonchalantly helped his country lift
the coveted World trophy and soothe many an Indian heart with joy and pride. With it
also came a feeling of relief, on finally getting there, which we Indians had
been waiting for so long. And if there
was one man we should be thankful to for getting us that, it is MSD. Yes, it’s
without a doubt that the Sachins, the Yuvrajs the Zaheers and Gambhirs made the
core but without Dhoni at the helm, the dream perhaps would have continued. It’s
rather sad that people here forget very easily and love to bring people on top
right to the ground.
However, I would forever be grateful to the man for giving
so many wonderful memories over the years to cherish. I shall not waste my time
here in comparing him with other ‘greatest’ Indian captains. Neither will I
take a list of Dhoni’s achievements and babble over it. It’s been done to death
with and frankly I am bored with the same old debates. For me, Dhoni remains one of the most
enigmatic people that I have known and have gotten inspired by. More than his
skills as a batsman or as a captain it is his thought process and the
simplicity with which he looks at things that bowls me over. The clarity of
thought, the willingness to accept mistakes and the courage to take on challenges
is what makes him different and unique. Yes it’s true that he has made errors
in the past few months, has look tired and jaded; but there are obvious reasons
for that too. In the aftermath of India’s
horrendous run last few months , the one thing that stands out is in the is the way Dhoni has remained calm and
silent. He has taken the brickbats head on.
People in India love to hate. And Dhoni unfortunately is
finding himself at the wrong side of people’s ire at the moment. It’s a pity
they forget how much he has done for the country as a captain, as a player and
merely with his presence. His decision
to send himself up on the finals of the World Cup was heroic to say the least;
the rest of course is history. More
recently, when he declared on how he is planning to retire by 2013 so that the
next wicket-keeper who comes in would have ideal time to fit in for the next
World Cup is laudable indeed. That speaks of his loyalty and foresightedness. There are several more examples which can be noted down here, but that pehaps would take a book to write.
No matter how many people keep criticizing him, Dhoni would keep going for as long as he loves. I am sure there are people who still love
him. I sure am one of them. It would be difficult to imagine life without
Dhoni, as he is a frequent topic of hot conversations between me and my pals. Plus
he has given me as a writer, lots to think and write about. I hope someday I
would get to meet him personally. That is current a highly cherished dream of
mine. Lastly though, I would just like to thank him for the impact he has had on
me, for inspiring me and for all those wondrous and lifelong moments.
Thank you MSD. This is one of your most loyal fans giving you a grand
salute on the eve of the anniversary of our World Cup victory. No matter what the future holds for you..I would keep standing by your side.... Keep rocking… Bas ‘Dho’ daalo ….
