Suresh Raina broke news to MS Dhoni about the birth of Ziva, book reveals

What's the story?

It is no secret that MS Dhoni missed the birth of his child Ziva as he was busy preparing for the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia as skipper of the Indian ODI cricket team.

Such was Dhoni's dedication and commitment to the cause that his reaction when asked to whether he missed being alongside his wife Sakshi during the time, Dhoni responded, "not really"

In a new book written by renowned journalist Rajdeep Sardesai titled ‘Democracy’s XI: The Great Indian Cricket Story’, it has been revealed that Dhoni wasn't even carrying his mobile phone along with him for the tournament and it was only through Suresh Raina that Sakshi could inform Dhoni about Ziva's birth.

The publisher of the book, Juggernaut Books, tweeted on Friday about the whole story.

When @msdhoni becm a father arnd 2015 World Cup, he wasn’t carryg a mobile. His wife sent an SMS thru @ImRaina to inform him! #RajdeepsBook

— Juggernaut Books (@juggernautbooks) October 20, 2017

The background

Dhoni might no longer be the skipper of the Indian side, having passed on the mantle to Virat Kohli in all formats of the game, but he still remains one of India's greatest ever captain, especially in the shorter formats of the game.

Having led India to success in the 2011 ODI World Cup, with a match-winning knock of 94* in the final against Sri Lanka, Dhoni was so focussed on repeating the feat in 2015 that he chose to keep his mobile away even at a time when he was expecting the birth of his first child.

The heart of the matter

MS Dhoni has been an inspirational skipper and continues to influence his teammates even after stepping down from the role. The key to this has been the bond he shares with his teammates and Suresh Raina has been one of his best buddies in the team.

No wonder then Sakshi chose Raina to convey the happy news to his then skipper who would no doubt have been immensely happy about becoming a father.

Such has been Dhoni's discipline and self-restraint that he never lost focus and led India all the way to the semi-final where they lost to the hosts and eventual champions Australia before catching a glimpse of his new-born daughter for the first time.

Extra Cover: For Dhoni, age is just a number

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Author's take

Dhoni has had his detractors all the way, right from those who criticise his captaincy to those who crib about his abilities as a batsman, claiming that he has been very lucky on both fronts.

What can't be questioned though is his commitment to the Indian team, having been a fine servant to the side as a player, wicketkeeper, and skipper of the side.

The above incident is just another snippet showcasing that quality in Dhoni and the man never ceases to amaze us.