The calmness of Mahendra Singh Dhoni is contagious, feels Chennai Super Kings' new hero Sam Billings
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was booed by the Indian supporters at Lord's for his slow batting during the team's 86-run defeat against England in the second One-Day International on Saturday.
The new stand at the iconic M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, which has been named after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, was opened on Friday.
Lauding Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brave leadership, the legendary Kapil Dev felt it is the Indian captain's confidence in his players' ability that makes them believe they can retain the World Cup.
Former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin feels current skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has never minced words in giving opinions on his teammates, should be "careful with his comments" if he wants a happy dressing room in the times to come.
As the 16th edition of the glitzy Indian Premier League is set to unfold, let's take a look at the driving force of the T20 league and what's in store in this edition.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership as well as finishing skills will be put through a stern test when an inconsistent India take on a rejuvenated New Zealand in the series-deciding fifth and final cricket ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. With the series locked at 2-2, Dhoni and his men will be eager to clinch the issue while history beckons Kane Williamson's men as they have a glorious opportunity to taste their maiden success in a bilateral ODI rubber. The only thing that can play spoilsport is the cyclone threat which can lead to complete washout.
The tournament, which has been shifted to the UAE due to five million plus COVID cases in India, is a 'TV-only event', expected to be lapped up by all and sundry who crave for cricket and Bollywood in equal measure during prime time.
Indian skipper MS Dhoni paid rich tribute to retired batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna, saying it is an honour well deserved for the 'ideal role model'.
Among all wicketkeepers in the world, he is the third fastest to reach this landmark.
'India has a genius called Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the team. He is the brain of cricket in the team. He understands the game so well and has experience of leading India in two WC wins. His experience will be vital for captain and coach and he can be their trump card'
A look at the star arrivals!
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said the opening match defeat against Pakistan was crucial to his side's early ouster from the Champions Trophy.
'I don't think there are any issues because you see the knocks around, he is striking the ball beautifully and the strike rate is close to 100, if not over 100'
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed how he was left in tears after his wife Prithi broke out the news of mother's hospitalisation.
Ruturaj Gaikwad played a match-winning innings, but don't forget Shivam Dube, Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's entertaining cameos.
A relaxed Mahendra Singh Dhoni will take fresh guard when he leads his home team Jharkhand against Karnataka.
Shastri paid Rs 1.20 cr for three months
India promoted Dhoni up the order in the first T20 on Wednesday and the former skipper responded the team management's decision by making an unbeaten 39 off just 22 balls.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed poor batting for the debacle in the series.
"Jinx (Ajinkya Rahane) batted well at No 3 but Virat couldn't score, this is something we will have to look at," Dhoni said.
Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer backed under-fire limited overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying the time has not yet come to write him off, in Kolkata, on Monday.
Come Thursday, Dhoni could possibly be his swansong on home turf and a big score to add to his legacy could be the fans' expectations.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team comes into the match with two wins on the bounce and, like always, will be tough to beat at their 'den'.
Eyeing a top-two finish, Chennai Super Kings will start as the firm favourites when they take on Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Thursday.
While many experts believe Dhoni is a spent force, Azharuddin felt he can still continue if he has the drive and a body that is 100 per cent fit.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's well-calculated half-century in challenging conditions turned out to be game-changer as Chennai Super Kings won their third match of the season with a eight-run defeat of Rajasthan Royals, in Chennai, on Sunday.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Saturday conceded that his side's fielding standard needs to improve considerably for it to do well at the Champions Trophy starting in Johannesburg from September 22.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to have recovered from the back spasm which ruled him out of the ongoing first cricket Test against Bangladesh.
For the golden generation of Indian cricketers, this is their last chance to conquest what no other team could on eight previous tours.
Dhoni would be the centre of discussion amid speculation that the Jharkhand player is contemplating retirement even though he hasn't spoken about it till now.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that Sunil Narine is a difficult customer to read and added that he is well aware of the threat the mystery spinner could pose when they meet Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League final in Chennai on Sunday.
Stung by an improved New Zealand the other night, a wary India would like to quickly get their house in order when they square off with Kane Williamson's boys in the third ODI in Mohali on Sunday. While the six-run defeat in Delhi has given India plenty to ponder about, it has also renewed interest in the contest which had been dominated by the home team prior to Thursday, stretching from the one-sided Test series to the first ODI in Dharamsala. From the New Zealand point of view, a victory was all that they needed after a string of deflating defeats. As a result of their first win on Indian soil in 13 years, one can expect a certain spring in the stride of the visitors when they take the field at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
After venturing into football, Indian cricket skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni felicitated Asian Games gold-winning hockey team vice-captain P R Sreejesh on behalf of the Kerala Cricket Association.
After succumbing to a 90-run defeat against South Africa in the third ODI, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side missed the services of Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra.
Dhoni showed that Hardik still has a lot to learn when it comes to leadership skills as Chennai Super Kings outwitted Gujarat Titans by 15 runs in the first Qualifier to book a place in their 10th IPL final.
A potential conflict of interest situation could have played in Dhoni's mind when he decided to quit, report Sai Manish and N Sundaresha Subramanian.
They could not secure victory even after setting England a mammoth 339-run target. But India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was happy to escape with a tie result, as he felt at one stage the English appeared clear favourites to win the match.
Reader Abhinav Mathur spotted India's cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni at Mumbai airport.
Mumbai Indians have arguably the best death-overs exponents in Jaspreet Bumrah and Lasith Malinga, while boasting an explosive all-rounder in Hardik Pandya.
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