There are still some debates in India over who is the best cricket captain the country have ever had. Not in a very distant past Saurav Ganguly was ahead simply because he had transformed the attitude of the side. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has the chance put an end to the debate forever when he will lead the side to their second ICC World Twenty20 final against Sri Lanka today at Mirpur.
Dhoni has already a certain place, not just in Indian cricket history but in the game as a whole, being the only captain to win both the ICC World Twenty20 and 50-over World Cup.
If he can come out victorious, it will cement his place further, making him the first captain to hold all major limited-over trophies together.
After leading India to their second World Cup title in 2011, he also helped them win the Champions Trophy the following year, and unbeaten so far in the competition his India are now favourites to clinch the ICC World Twenty20.
‘I don’t think I was calm from my childhood. I’m someone who doesn’t like losing much,’ Dhoni described what made him so cool in the field. ‘When I was young I had trouble controlling the emotions associated with getting defeated. Over a period of time, I have learnt how to control this emotion.
‘I’m a believer in the fact that your emotions are yours only and hence you should be the one who knows how to control it. Over time I found dealing with emotions easier.
‘I feel it is important because in a game there are so many stages where you don’t want to take a decision emotionally. Practically you decide what the best option is,’ he said at the pre-final press conference on Saturday.
This is one reason, Dhoni is yet take the trophy for granted and preferred to shun talks about making new history by holding all major ICC tournaments trophy together.
‘That’s something that will be very good for the side,’ said Dhoni. ‘But that’s something we can think about once we have done well in the final tomorrow. As of now we shouldn’t really think about if we win the final tomorrow what are the things that we can achieve?
‘I think what’s important for us is to play good cricket and try to contribute whoever gets in and sets himself up as a batsman or as bowler.
‘That will be the crucial aspect, not thinking about what may happen if we win the final or thinking about the result,’ said Dhoni.
Winning the trophy is important for Dhoni, not just to establish a new legacy but to bury some recent off-the-field controversies.
He was recently stung by the lawyers for giving a false statement in court over match-fixing issue and his association with India Cement, a company owned by Board of Control for India president N Srinivasan was also called into question.
‘There’s hardly good or bad in Indian cricket that happens without my name,’ said Dhoni. ‘We have to go through everything but the good thing is we have to concentrate on the process more.
‘I know there are certain things that are in my control. I look to move in that direction rather than thinking or living a thought that’s beyond my control and that had really helped me,’ said Dhoni.
-With New Age input
