Dhoni had ‘hatke’ persona on and off the field
The past week has been dominated by Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retirement from international cricket. From the time his post announcing this went up on Instagram on Independence Day, there has been a deluge of tributes and encomiums in mainstream and social media, in drawing and virtual chat rooms, all over the cricket world.
Dhoni started and finished his international career being run out, but in the 15 years in between, notched up so many stupendous performances, won so many matches off his own bat, or because of his leadership, that he stands on a pedestal.
He has scored more runs and claimed more victims behind the wickets than any other Indian wicketkeeper batsman. In fact, there are very few in the world to match the stats that attach themselves to name in all three formats.
Getting the captaincy fortuitously in 2007, he made a monumental impact winning all major ICC tournaments (T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy), taking India to the number 1 ranking in Tests (2009-10), apart from a clutch of titles in the IPL and Champions League.
There have been several outstanding Indian cricketers. in my opinion, however, Dhoni’s is among the three most compelling stories of players who had long and substantial careers, not cameos. The other two are Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Sachin Tendulkar.
Pataudi remarkably played all his international cricket, stretching to almost 15 years, with just one eye. At his peak, he was a handsome strokeplayer, capable of destroying attacks, and through his career remained a brilliant fielder which earned him the sobriquet ‘Tiger’.
Pataudi became captain at 21, made his first task to unite a dressing room riven with politics. He made spin the thrust of the Indian attack, put a premium on fielding, led India to their first overseas victory.
Neither before nor after Pataudi has any cricketer excelled with such a serious handicap. In fact, it is impossible today to think that a player with virtually no vision in one eye would even play club cricket, leave aside Tests. He was unique.
Tendulkar was a child prodigy who went on to become one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. Most prodigies fail to acutalise their potential. Tendulkar’s career played out to a near-perfect script, as if he was to the manner born.
He sustained his form with an extraordinary degree of consistency for almost a quarter of a century and retired with the highest number of Test runs and centuries, 100 centuries overall in international cricket and almost every possible batting record.
Perhaps the greater aspect of Tendulkar’s long career was how he carried the onerous burden of expectation of a billionplus Indians unflinchingly. No other player in history has had to endure so much pressure for so long — not even Bradman.
Dhoni’s career trajectory is as colourful as it is amazing. He came from Bihar (before the state got bifurcated), considered among the boondocks in Indian cricket.
He wasn’t a prodigy, nor did he have a sporting legacy to inspire him, like Pataudi’s did.
Dhoni wrestled between football and cricket in his formative years, and for a long while growing up, the priority was to find a secure job. He got that when he joined the Railways as a ticket collector. But his gnawing ambition made him chuck up the job and deep dive into cricket.
These circumstances, and the fact that he represented a weak cricket association, made Dhoni’s situation highly vulnerable. Failure would have meant a less fulfilling career, if not a futile one — and with no job in hand. What he achieved from thereafter and the magnificent legacy he leaves behind makes him iconic.
His unorthodox technique and tactics were always the subject of debate, often skepticism and sometimes ridicule. However, as as people were to soon realise, this unorthodoxy was not restricted to cricket. His persona even off the field was ‘hatke’.
He has played and lived as he sees fit, more importantly without rancor against criticism, egotism when in power, or gloating in the huge success he has enjoyed.
Over a period of time the ‘Mahi way’, like Frank Sinatra’s immortal ballad I Did It My Way, became a universal refrain in cricket, turning him into a cult figure.