5 things that we expected to see in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

The general consensus has given Dhoni’s biopic a big thumb’s up, with Sushant Singh Rajput’s apt portrayal of the Indian ODI captain’s mannerisms and batting style getting major kudos from all quarters. The riveting account of the captain’s rise to the top has even caught the box office by storm.

This article does not, in any way, criticize the movie, which is a wonderful portrayal of the great man’s struggle to reach the top. It is obviously difficult to squeeze a 35-year old life into a three-hour movie, yet, there were some aspects of his life that we, as fans, expected to see in the biopic, but were given a miss by the movie makers.

Here are five of them:

His rise to captaincy

Dhoni’s playing career is synonymous with his achievements at the helm of the Indian team. The tag of being India’s greatest captain has been well documented over the years. However, his rise to Indian cricket‘s golden throne has been given a miss by the movie makers.

His ascent to the top post over other established players was big news back in its time. The biopic skips all of that, jumping from a scene in his garage to the finals of the World T20 in 2007.

His dressing room experience

Dhoni’s equation with other players in the team finds little mention in the biopic

Dhoni’s rise from a small town to pinnacles of international cricket has been portrayed quite well in the film. Yet, his inclusion in the Indian team has been limited to a match by match account of what transpired in his first five ODIs. His equation with seniors on entering the dressing room, and that with his teammates is kept to a minimum.

The only plausible reason for it being given a miss is the lack of scope to include team India characters in the movie.

The trailer also gave a tease of one of Dhoni’s controversial decisions, where he decides to let go off three senior players from the ODI squad in 2008. Their names are not divulged in the movie.

Little insight into the finer aspects of his international career

Since bursting onto the international scene with a brazen century against Pakistan in his fifth ODI, Dhoni has always stayed in the limelight. Not one to divulge much about himself, the fans expected the biopic to spill beans about his crucial captaincy decisions, or his mindsight while facing the last over and taking India past the line on innumerable occasions.

Apart from the World Cup final against Sri Lanka in 2011, the movie has not shown much about the finer aspects of his how his batting changed over the years, or has any mention of his wicketkeeping skills at the top most level. Instead, his international career is limited to a set of video clippings of matches leading up to the World Cup final in 2011.

His transition into a mature and level-headed player

His transition to world cricket’s best finisher is not displayed in the film.

One thing that sets the 35-year old apart from his peers is his unmatched ability to soak in pressure from all ends and maintain a poker face even in the harshest of adversities. Viewers would have expected to get a sneak peek into how Dhoni manages to maintain calm amid the storm all around him. His transition from a long-haired aggressive youngster to a mature and level-headed batsman capable of controlling the proceedings with his restrained strokeplay invites a lot of questions.

Also, his roller coaster ride as Team India’s captain has been left out. Maybe, the director wanted to stress more on his personal life, and decided to leave all of this for a possible sequel or his biography.

Little about IPL and Test career

There is very little about his Test and IPL career in the movie

A giant of limited overs cricket, Dhoni had a good Test career as well, taking India to the number 1 spot with his shrewd captaincy and tactical prowess. Yet, apart from showing one knock, the story doesn’t give much importance to his Test career.

Another important aspect of his career as a cricketer has been his association with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and their envious record in the tournament. The movie breezes past that phase, showing just one scene in which he signs a contract with the Chennai franchise.