MS Dhoni's 'big gift' to Indian cricket was his ability to play a big final and treat it like any other game: Sanjay Manjrekar

Former Indian batsman and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar stated that MS Dhoni approached the big games like any other game and did not succumb to any sort of pressure on a big occasion.

Manjrekar recently paid tribute to the former Indian captain via his column in Hindustan Times.

MS Dhoni announced his retirement on Saturday, bringing an end to one of the most illustrious careers the game had ever seen. The 39-year-old encountered many big games in the course of his career including the 2007 T20 World Cup final and the 2011 World Cup final but he never let the pressure get to him.

Manjrekar believes that it was one of the main reasons why MS Dhoni was such a successful captain. He wrote in his column:

"I have done a few tosses with him before big games and this composure was palpable out at the pitch—Dhoni was approaching the big game like it was any other match. The same could not be said about many of his counterparts. That was Dhoni’s big gift to Indian cricket—to play the big final and treat it like any other game."

MS Dhoni's approach to cricket is spiritual: Sanjay Manjrekar

Sanjay Manjrekar added that MS Dhoni's approach to cricket is very spiritual, adding that the Indian legend focuses on the process and is not worried about winning or losing games.

What Dhoni believes in is the way his team has played and according to Manjrekar, that is a trait of a great captain.

Manjrekar asserted in his column:

"His approach to cricket is spiritual. I remember the way he would look downcast at post match interviews even after India had won, because the team had not played in the manner he would have liked. He uses the word “process” a lot; he absolutely and genuinely believes in it. It isn’t a fashionable or convenient cliché for him."

He added:

"If the team did not follow the process well, then the win, for him, was because of luck. That did not make him happy. For him, the “right” process was playing clinically and smartly as per the situation and not allowing the emotions raging inside get the better of you. Which is why, often, he would not look too unhappy with a loss—because in his mind his team followed the right process."

Although MS Dhoni has retired from international cricket, he will still be leading the Chennai Super Kings in the 2020 edition of the IPL, which is set to be staged in UAE from September 19 to November 10.