MS Dhoni: TN Premier League will be a feeding ground of players for TNCA

Returning to International cricket after a break of few months, Indian skipper MS Dhoni talks about a range of issues such as his fitness, the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TN Premier League) and being a doting father to his daughter Ziva, in an exclusive interview with TN Premier League’s official website. MS you’re looking very fit. Is there anything special that you have been doing in the off-season

Generally we are provided with a schedule and also since I’m not playing Test matches anymore it gives me the liberty of planning out a bit of training because nowadays even the training part we have to be very careful as to what we are doing. In my case, my motto was to lose a bit of weight; technically in the terms of the fat percentage and what you have to be careful about is when you try to lose fat you don’t want to end up losing muscle also. I have managed to lose two kilos.

The BCCI trainers really helped us out they gave us a schedule as to what we need to follow. Training, I personally feel, is 30% or even less. I feel it is the eating habits that really contributes to having a fit regime along with the training aspect as well. Quite a few bad habits that I had to leave them, I feel as you play more and more international cricket we need more time to be in the right shape.

It actually helps you think better, react better on the field and all of that. Whatever schedule has been given, I’m following that along with trying to eat some good food but still not a 100% healthy eating. I do indulge in some sweets in between, but it is certainly less than what I used to have.

Is there anything in particular that has changed drastically in your diet?

Yes, as I said there have been quite a few things. What we try to omit is the fried stuff — try not to have the fried stuff and at the same time when you’re eating what, because a lot of time what you see is that youngsters end up dieting to get fit. What you want is to eat healthy food, you don’t want to look fit, you have to be fit and that’s where it all counts. I feel what’s important is what you’re eating at what point of time.

All people say that breakfast is very important which I feel is the most important meal of the day followed by what you’re having in the lunch period. If by some chance I’m getting a craving to have something that is not recommended for me, I will try to have it on the breakfast table because it gives me the opportunity to burn it throughout the day.

Most important when it comes to being fit is the dinner which you should try to have slightly early but I’m not a person who eats very early. Since I was at home, I could plan the whole sleep timing, so I was finishing dinner by 8 or 8.30 PM, which is still relatively late for somebody but I thought it was a good time for me.

The trailer of your biopic is out and the number of views is breaking all records. Did you manage to go on location a number of times and teach Sushant Singh Rajput the technicalities, the language modulation, your mannerisms and other things?

Sushant has spent some time in Patna (when) it was the undivided Bihar, so he has a glimpse of what it feels to be there and that has actually helped him to some extent. When it comes to the cricket aspect, he has done a lot of practice. In fact, I think he has practiced over four months, maybe seven or eight months and he was very religious about it.

And that’s the reason his shots that he has played so far that you have seen in the trailers, all look quite authentic. Also of course what has helped him is that I was never very orthodox. I was anyway playing stuff that was never really literally in the book, but I feel that he has put in a lot of effort.

Yes, I did spend a lot of time with him before the start of the shoot because he wanted to meet me, see as to what my thinking is and all of that which is I feel the actor’s way of getting int,o the character I don’t know how much I have helped him but he has done a fantastic job.

You’re back in Chennai after a gap, so what are your thoughts to be back in the city?

It feels great to be back here and it’s been a while. I always feel nice being here. It is a city that has given me a lot of love and affection. I have played a lot of cricket here — my Test debut was also here and I have very fond memories. Also the fact that the people here just love me; the kind of reception they have given me every time that I’ve been here is just fantastic, so it feels good to be here.

What are your thoughts about the TN Premier League?

Talking about the TN Premier League you have a fresh platform, yes you have other tournaments and everything that goes around and is part of the BCCI schedule, then it goes down to the state association and how they plan everything. But this is something that is relatively new and it gives the opportunity to a fresh set of youngsters, with eight teams there is a big number of players that are needed for the league to function properly.

So it gives them that opportunity too, it allows them to play in quite a different scenario. Quite a few of them would not have played night matches so far so this is an opportunity for them to get a glimpse of that. Not to forget this will take cricket into some of the smaller cities, you know we are quite used to playing here and there are some other places where you have grounds but some of the matches will also be played in some of the smaller cities where it will act as a promotional measure where you try to bring youngsters into cricket.

I feel also what it does in the food chain is that it becomes a feeding ground for the local association which is the TNCA and also once CSK (Chennai Super Kings) gets back, it will be a feeding ground for CSK as well. The players who play well here since it’s being telecast by Star as well everyone will have a look at the players and I feel this is something that has changed since the start of the IPL (Indian Premier League).

All the franchisees are on the constant look-out for players who can give that something special to their team and I feel this is where you can get it. It will actually motivate a lot of youngsters to do well when it comes to cricket and perform under pressure because when it comes to franchisee cricket; you’re slightly under a different kind of pressure.

So it actually helps them to get into a frame of mind where they can perform consistently under pressure and also the fact that they will be sharing the dressing room with a lot of India players if the schedule permits or players who have consistently played for the TNCA and who have been very successful for the state. So I feel it will be a very good exposure for the youngsters.

When you came from Jharkhand, it was a revolution. So do you feel that the TN Premier League will also help us find someone from the smaller towns of Tamil Nadu?

Yes, that’s what I exactly meant. It becomes like a playing ground for the youngsters, fresh talent that is playing cricket and I feel that this is one format where you need a lot of energy, you need a lot of variation. You know there is a lot of scope of adapting to the situation of the conditions and at the same time innovation as well.

So I feel it is a very good platform not only from a cricket point of view; also from a franchisee point of view because they’ll also be spending money so it has to be a self-sustaining model. After a few years at least they should be breaking even if not making more money because that’s what makes life easier for everybody where you have a team and you don’t always have to put in losses and I think that has been something that has been considered when it comes to the TN Premier League.

Hopefully it will be a big success and more than that, it will be a platform for youngsters to get into the next stage. What we have seen is that especially in the T20 format it is one format where you can identify individuals who are that special and then you can slowly see their progress over a period of time.

You head to the US for the T20 tournament against the West Indies and this is the first time you will be playing under Anil Kumble after he has been appointed as the coach of Team India. What are your thoughts on that?

Well Anil Bhai, I have played with him, I have played under him and he’s a very special man. He’s one of the few players, irrespective of the conditions whether it’s (assisting) spin bowling or not, whether we’re playing in abroad or not — he was somebody who was very aggressive when it comes to his bowling. He was somebody who put in a lot of hard-work who would prepare very well over a period and you know he’s just fantastic.

The integrity part, the honesty part, the hard-work, the affection and yes the big change has been the sense of humour. He had a different kind of sense of humour when he was playing — you know if you understand him at the right time you know ‘okay he was giving that joking reply’ and he just keeps moving from there. So it will be nice. Already I think we are the No. 1 Test team so that’s very good for us and I feel we’ll have a special time.

How much are you enjoying fatherhood and you have got to enjoy a considerable amount of time with Ziva? How active a role do you play as a father — do you feed her, help change her diaper those sort of things?

Well, that way when we are quite blessed. When it comes to changing her diaper we have a nanny. Sakshi is around, her grandparents are also there, so I think I come right at the bottom. When it comes to feeding and all, Ziva is very good we don’t have to worry too much about it.

In fact, she also feeds Sakshi and me and she follows a typical schedule, so it’s good. When she was born, I was not here. The first time I saw her was a couple of months (later) and after that she was with us the whole of IPL, then it was very on and off. So you know that first willing hug from the daughter’s side came in the last 15 days. So she is 18 months old and her first willing hug comes in her 17th month, so that’s the tough part.

Yes with more time I’m getting to spend a bit more time with her and I’m enjoying that part because they learn something every day and forget something, it’s always fun. Specially the fact that she’s very active and very independent; also she’s not the types you have to keep carrying in your lap.

You just have to keep going behind her because she keep roaming from the time she gets up till the time she sleeps, she’s someone who keeps walking around. So I’m enjoying that and actually it’s a special moment, now she recognises me, she tries to interact with me. Of course she doesn’t differentiate still a lot; she often calls me also Mama and all of that. The reason may be that she has called Mama more than Papa but that’s the thing but it is fine.