Dhoni the ZEN!

If being the Prime Minister of India is considered as one of the most high pressure job in our country then think twice as being the captain of the Indian cricket team is not far behind in terms of the expectations and complexities involved. The Indian cricket fans are far more demanding than the coalition partners which the honorable Prime Minister has to handle. And it won't be an exaggeration if we rate the Indian cricket fans as the second most demanding and mercurial lot in the world, only behind the Pakistani counterparts especially when it comes to outrageous display of wrath. In this context if one man has done more justice to this throne of thorns than any of his predecessors then it is certainly Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Dhoni has led magnificently well, using whatever resources he has been provided with, without any time worrying about what he doesn't have. The biggest reason of his huge success as a captain is that he is not afraid of criticism, always backs his instincts and keep things simple, interestingly all great leader have these qualities. And what better example of this but his brave act in the finals when he promoted himself in the batting order and came in to bat ahead of the Man of the Tournament (read Yuvraj Singh). That single act embodied a real intent to win and importantly showed a willingness to lead from the front. At that crucial juncture he could have quite easily let Yuvraj or Raina go in and sat comfortably in the dressing room but the man backed himself to face a crisis without dithering, no wonder the entire world is singing praises about the man and he has been unanimously promoted from a good captain to an all time great.

Dhoni has reached a stage in his career, more so in his popularity that his every single move is followed by millions. Sachin Tendulkar may be the presiding deity of Indian cricket, the ultimate batting god who has broken all possible records in the game but Dhoni is someone fans have started to worship from afar. From his hairstyle to his helicopter shot, Dhoni's every single move is closely watched, adored and followed by the millions across the country. Dhoni's is truly a story that every common man can relate to, coming from a middle class backdrop, not being a metropolitan lad, climbing the success ladder the hard way are some of the traits that make him so popular and relatable among masses. No wonder the champion player endorses brands like Sonata, Big Bazaar, Orient PSPO and Siyaram's and not the high end Tissots, Spencers, Bluestars and Reid & Taylors as they are very much in line with his personality and the middle class sentiments. And despite all this adulation and idolising, the calm and poise the superstar exhibits is exemplary; probably it's a trademark and an inherent quality in all the icons.

But like any other riveting story, Dhoni's has also had it's share of lows. The champion player has been criticized for giving away his original and attacking style of stroke play for a more cautious and circumspect one. He has also been flaked for relying too much on his instincts rather than on cricketing logic. His decision of persisting with Ravindra Jadega for longer than normal despite latter’s consistently dismal performances baffled one and all, including myself. And off-late the decision that made him face the wrath from all corners was the one when he relentlessly kept on picking Piyush Chawla over R Ashwin in the World Cup, despite former's poor show and latter’s impressive track record. This decision was utterly baffling for all and defied every cricketing logic but Dhoni being his true self remained unfazed by all the drama surrounding his decision and eventually came out trumps.

Dhoni might not be the best player to have donned the Indian cap but he is certainly more effective than the most. He might not have the best technique as a batsman but he performs and delivers better than those who have it. He has this unique knack of knowing his limitations as a player and he makes best utilization of his limited abilities. Certainly he is not as talented as Sachin, Sehwag or Yuvraj but he makes the best use of whatever he has been gifted with. Numbers tell that Dhoni has already stamped his authority as one of the best Captain India has ever produced but if there is one thing that drives this man farther than the most then it's his TEMPERAMENT. He has never been seen losing his temper in 8 years of his cricketing career nor have we seen him yelling on any of his team mates in his 3 years tenure as the skipper. The Zen like calm, composure and the cool that surrounds the man not only instills confidence in the fellow team mates but also gives hope to the millions of fan.

Life being the best leveler will pose tougher challenges for Dhoni too and someday even his Midas touch will fade. And then it needs to be seen, whether that Zen like calm and poise still remains. But even in those not so glorious days we should not undermine or forget the unthinkable feats the team has achieved under his leadership and the unparalleled joy and ecstasy the man has brought to the millions.

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