"The Final proof of greatness lies in being able to endure criticism without resentment."
-Elbert Hubbard
These words said by Elbert Hubbard always strike my mind when I think of MS Dhoni, former Indian cricket captain, who is currently the wicketkeeper-batsman in ODIs and T20Is. Many of you who would have watched the film, 'MS Dhoni- The Untold Story', would have come to know the various obstacles Dhoni had to overcome to gain the aura he eventually had.
But, one aspect which the film failed to portray (maybe due to lack of time!) was the various ups and downs Dhoni has had in his career. Maybe the film was shot at the wrong time, as Dhoni's international career is still rolling on. But, that is for another discussion.
MS Dhoni is a modern-day cricketing giant, especially in the shorter format. His catchy stroke-play and definitely his humongous sixes are crowd pullers, and he has not failed to entertain them nearly everytime he comes to the crease. He is more prominently known as a finisher, who takes the team through without any hesitation; as cool as a cucumber.
But, Dhoni is most popular for his surprising and unexpected decisions. Just when everything would be seeming alright, Dhoni would pop in a decision which would leave everyone in surprise.
It all started in the year 2008, when he did not pick three top players for the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia. That proved out to be an outstanding decision and India came out trumps.
The twin 4-0 defeats at the mercy of England and Australia in the 2011-12 season had placed left lot of questions behind Dhoni's captaincy. Even though his form with the bat was pretty good, people failed to look at that, and blamed him for the losses.
Every time Dhoni has done a small mistake, people have got behind him. Recently, in a T20I in Rajkot, he ate up many balls, and failed to give Virat Kohli the strike. As a result, India lost the match. He was trolled by many journalists, former cricketers and fans for doing so.
I find all this rather abominable. After all, aren't cricketers human beings? Can't we accept mistakes made by them too.
I have always emphasised that there is a difference between a 'supporter and a 'fan'. A supporter supports the team right through the good and bad times. A fan only rotates above like an electric fan. If the weather is nice and bright, it will rotate. But, if it gets cold and tough, it will not. When bad times fall, only the supporters prevail.
Unfortunately, in India, fans are present in large numbers. We are in need of more supporters.
It is very easy to sit in the drawing room and discuss what the players are doing wrong. We do not know how it is to play an international match in front of 30,000 expectant people. It is a very difficult situation, and players do falter at times. We must accept failure as a step towards success.
Taking this into consideration, I feel that MS Dhoni still has a lot to offer in both the formats. He has faced a lot of criticism in the past, and has immediately shown why he is valuable. He is the pillar of the team, and his experience is very much needed for youngsters like Hardik Pandya and Yuzuvendra Chahal to prosper.
I urge all the people reading this blog to become supporters, and leave fandom!!!!
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