MS Dhoni is widely celebrated as one of the most successful captains in the history of Indian cricket, achieving iconic status by winning all three ICC white-ball trophies—T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and Champions Trophy. He debuted for India in 2004 and assumed the captaincy in 2007, thanks in part to the recommendation of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who declined the captaincy offer from the BCCI and suggested Dhoni’s name instead.
Under Dhoni’s leadership, India reached numerous milestones, including claiming the top spot in the ICC Test rankings for the first time in 2009. In 2011, Dhoni led India to World Cup glory, ending Sachin Tendulkar’s long wait for the prestigious title after 22 years in international cricket. Tendulkar has inspired countless cricketers, including Dhoni, but there was a time when Dhoni, known for his reserved nature in his early career, would avoid sitting near Tendulkar.
Speaking to Jio Insider, Tendulkar, often referred to as the “Master Blaster,” shared that he first noticed Dhoni’s distinct batting sound during a match in Bangladesh. “The first time I saw him was in Bangladesh. During one of the games, Dhoni hit a couple of shots towards the end. The sound from his bat was unique, and I turned to Sourav Ganguly next to me and said, ‘Dada, there’s something different about the sound of his bat,'” Tendulkar recalled.
Tendulkar added that big hitters like Dhoni have a unique ability where the ball not only clears boundaries but often travels farther than expected. He also mentioned that during flights, Dhoni, initially quite shy, would often switch seats with other players to avoid sitting next to him.
Sachin played under Dhoni’s captaincy from 2007 until his ODI retirement in December 2012, and his final Test match in November 2013 was under Dhoni’s leadership at the Wankhede Stadium. Although the two Indian cricket legends never played together in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they did face off in key matches, including the 2010 IPL final where Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings defeated Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians to win the title.
