You never saw MS Dhoni get excited: Michael Holding

Former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding believes that whenever MS Dhoni used to stay calm under pressure, he used to make crucial decisions that would change the course of the game.

Holding was also impressed by MS Dhoni's fitness as he kept wickets across all three formats for so long. In ODIs, the former India captain was keeping till his very last game for India against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semifinal.

“When he (MS Dhoni) was captaining, you never saw him get excited. If things seemed to be slipping, he would call his players, have a chat calmly and then they would go back to wherever they were and things would automatically change, that was the kind of influence he had,” Holding said on his YouTube channel.

MS Dhoni looked like someone who came out there just to destroy whatever comes in front of him: Michael Holding

Michael Holding recalled his first memory of MS Dhoni as a raw power-hitter. Dhoni would smash the ball to all parts of the ground with brute force. But as he progressed in his career, Dhoni became more responsible about his batting. He learned the art of taking the game deep till the end and winning games for India, something that Michael Holding was extremely impressed with.

"When Dhoni first started, he was big-hitter, that’s why he hit so many fours and sixes. As he grew some grey around his temple area then he had to tone it down a bit and he was lot more controlled with his batting. Anyone watching MS Dhoni in the middle would know he was always in control, unflappable, never ever he looked out of control," Holding said.

Although MS Dhoni has retired from international cricket, he will still lead the Chennai Super Kings in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League.