Two-time World Cup winner Mahendra Singh Dhoni, arguably the greatest captain in the history of the sport, leads Chennai Super Kings in IPL after retiring from international cricket. In a ‘generational career’ that spanned for 15 years, ‘Thala’ played 350 ODIs, 98 T20Is and 90 Tests for team India, accomplishing some remarkable milestones over the period. MS Dhoni’s die-hard fans are very emotional for him. Over the years, 42-year-old Dhoni has garnered a massive following with some highly-passionate and dedicated supporters. Apart from fans, Dhoni is also admired by cricketers and Yuzvendra Chahal is one such example.
In a recent interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, star leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal revealed how he behaves whenever he is in front of Dhoni.
“He is only person, unke saamne aate hi meri bolti bandh ho jaati hai [I am tongue-tied in front of him]. I don’t speak a lot irrespective of the kind of mood I am in. I just sit still and reply only if Mahi bhai asks something. Otherwise, I just keep quiet,” Chahal said in an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia.
Chahal talked about one incident from India-South Africa T20 match in Centurion, where he conceded 64 runs and how Dhoni comforted him.
“We were playing a T20 match against South Africa in Centurion. For the first time, I was hit for 64 runs in four overs. [Heinrich] Klaasen was hammering me, so he asked me whether I would bowl round the wicket. I said okay, but then Klaasen hit me for a six,” said Chahal.
“I was walking back when Mahi bhai came to me and told me, ‘aaj tere din nahi hai, koi baat nahi’ [Today is not your day, it’s okay]. But he told me that the five balls that I have left, I should try and not concede a boundary on those as that will help the team. From that experience, I realized that even if you have an off day, you can still support the team,” he added.
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