An Open Letter to MS Dhoni haters

MS Dhoni on way to 69 in the 3rd ODI against Bangladesh

Dear MS Dhoni Haters,

Greetings!

As you would observe, starting off this letter with a sign of respect is way too much when it comes to the wisdom of the audience whom I am addressing this to. You do not deserve any sign of respect for being harsh to a man who has been the best thing that has happened to Indian cricket in the last decade or so. I take this chance to counter each one of your witty comments laced with criticism, which you guys have been using to attack Dhoni over the years. The recent drubbing against Bangladesh just gave you a burst of energy to pour down heavily on Dhoni.

For a man who has captained India for almost a decade, he certainly deserves more respect. The recent trip to Bangladesh defined a frustrating point for Indian cricket, true that, but would it be fair enough to single out somebody like MS Dhoni? The recent loss revealed a different side of Dhoni, the side which had been silently absorbing a lot of flak over the years.

Captain Cool, man with nerves of steel – all these adjectives went for a toss. The words that Dhoni uttered after the second ODI against Bangladesh has certainly sent a shiver down the spines of millions. The words revealed how tough the journey has been for him. It just gave a fairer idea on how the dashing dude of Indian cricket, who had once been a trendsetter and a style icon, has transformed into a man who looks ten years older than he actually is.

Now to the critics, born and brought up in India, no matter in which generation, let me ask you a few set of questions.

Out of all the ICC trophies that India has won over the years, how many has Dhoni been involved in? Under whose captaincy did India attain the number 1 ranking in One day and Test cricket? It would be tough for you guys to digest the answers to these questions. The only thing which matters and delights you is the fact that Dhoni is the only captain to lose a series against Bangladesh and he is the only Indian cricketer to have featured in all the defeats against Bangladesh.

Do you guys have any idea of what it takes to be the Indian cricket captain? Do you guys have a fair idea of what it takes to continuously play for almost an entire calendar year and still be injury free? When I say entire calendar year, it not only means that India plays a lot of cricket but it also highlights the fact that whatever team Dhoni plays for, makes it to the last stage almost every time.

Those grey hairs have not happened because of a sudden rush of hormones and have also not happened because Dhoni belongs to a family which has a hereditary problem. It is the strain of leading continuously in high-pressure situations and you guys do not have the wisdom to understand that.

More often than not Dhoni has been criticized for giving chances to the undeserving. Making a woefully out of form Shikhar Dhawan hit a purple patch or making an out of sorts Rohit Sharma realize his potential or making a wayward and expensive Mohammad Shami the leader of the Indian pace battery.

I can go on and on and counter each of your silly arguments. For your information, these guys do not belong to Chennai Super Kings.

In his early days, you termed his wicket keeping as poor. He can whip the bails without having an eye on the stumps. You termed him as the guy who was fit for gully cricket going by his rash strokes. He changed his style only to suit the situation, putting aside the helicopter in the hangar. But mind you, Dhoni is the missile which when launched, can prove to be a mayhem for the opposition.

Another argument which keeps cropping up is that Dhoni takes things to the last over only to become a hero. Batting with the tail and finishing off things with the required run rate of 15 plus, if somebody can pull off this stunt with ease, I would term it as guts and self-confidence – a hero worth worshipping.

People have talked about Jadeja being treated as a fixed deposit in the Indian team. Can you name replacements? Stuart Binny, the man with the pace of a pedestrian or an Irfan Pathan who has been tried and tested in all kinds of conditions. It is tough my dear friends, it is indeed tough being an Indian captain.

The kind of accolades Dhoni has won for India certainly deserve huge respect. And it is quite funny that the entire cricketing fraternity outside India has ample amount of gratitude for this man. But when it comes to India, the number of his fans and haters equal each other.

His fitness suggests he has a lot of cricket left in him, but is he the hero we will not have because we do not deserve? He will go on and on like a saint and a silent assassin , bringing laurels for his country. The day he realizes that he is done, he will quietly walk away without letting anybody know. He is not someone who would even want a farewell series.

Yours (not so) Sincerely,

MSD fan till death