What‘s the story?
Having led India in a record 331 international matches across all three formats, MS Dhoni will soon take the field just as a player. The emotional journey that had captivated the entire nation will now make way for another one. Reflecting on his career so far, he took a trip down memory lane and sought to shed light into the days ahead.
When asked if he would go back to his original style and take the attack to the bowlers without any inhibition, the 35-year old came up with an interesting answer. Even if he does choose to take the aggressive route, Dhoni dismissed a memorable aspect by joking, “I will never grow my hair (long) again.”
”Extra Cover: "I was waiting for the right time," says MS Dhoni
The seasoned campaigner felt, “I debuted in 2004, was given the captaincy in 2007. If I see my journey since then, I had to change according to the team's needs. I started in the lower order then moved up the ladder. However, it changed in the last few years. The top-order batsmen batted really well and I felt there was no explosive finisher at the lower order and due to that I was batting lower down the order. I am ready to change my batting order according to the responsibility given to me in the times ahead.”
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Dhoni stormed onto the scene in the 2004/05 season as a long-haired wicket-keeper batsman who tore bowling attacks to shreds on a regular basis. The brown tinge was gradually replaced by a shade of black but his mindset remained the same.
After being appointed as skipper, he however trimmed his hair and began to bat according to the needs of the team as well as the situation.
The heart of the matter
Looking back at his journey until now, Dhoni revealed that he did not have any regrets both on and off the field. Reiterating the importance of overseeing the transition period from the senior stalwarts to the next generation, he admitted to the inevitability of ups and downs in the game.
The gloveman batted in the middle-order for the vast majority of his early years. Since taking over the captaincy, he insisted that it was more prudent to utilise his experience lower down the order. However, the veteran also expressed readiness to move back to where he belonged if the team management would want him to do so.
What next?
Alongside his old partner-in-crime Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni turned back the clock by smashing a 40-ball 68 during the first warm-up game against England XI at the Brabourne Stadium a few days back.
By making his intentions pretty clear, the right-hander has sent out a strong statement prior to the ODI series which is slated to begin on Sunday in Pune.
Sportskeeda’s Take
The long-hair added to Dhoni’s rustic charm when he burst onto the limelight and hence it has become a key part of those memories associated with him. Be it crew-cut or normal hair, the final phase of his career is indeed shaping up to be an enthralling ride with his bat promising to do all the talking.
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