MS Dhoni, the former Indian and CSK skipper, is known for unconventional captaincy skills, which have also been rewarding. It was evidenced by how Dhoni kept short-fine leg for Misbah-ul-Haq and bowled Joginder Sharma in T20 World Cup 2007 final and keeping Matthew Hayden at mid-off despite Kieron Pollard going berserk in IPL 2010 decider. But the legendary keeper-batter has seemingly always been unconventional off the field as well, reinforced by Sam Billings’ ‘hookah diplomacy’ formula to connect with players.
“You don’t meet many cool people these days”, says Sam Billings about MS Dhoni
England cricketer Sam Billings, who has featured under Dhoni’s captaincy in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a handful of matches, named the Ranchi-born athlete as the best player he has played with in the tournament. Billings stated, as quoted by DNA India:
“Has to be Dhoni. I think just in terms of his captaincy, his aura, it’s fantastic. He’s incredibly calm and genuinely cool. There aren’t many cool people. You don’t meet many cool people these days. He is a lovely guy, considering what stardom he has and being a superstar.”
Dhoni’s willingness to vibe with the youngsters was also evident as the 34-year-old disclosed that his hotel room’s door is always open, showcasing his openness to give guidance to anyone who needs it. Additionally, having ‘shisha’ also known as ‘hookah’ also remains the 44-year-old’s tactic to connect with the youngsters, whether it’s in his side or the opposition.
“He is a Manchester United fan. We watched every United game because you can’t leave the hotel and go downstairs to the hotel bar. He leaves his hotel room open. He has a little sheesha man who looks after the sheesha. Khaleel.
The same was also testified by ex-CSK opener Michael Hussey, who spoke during Overlap Cricket podcast:
“Dhoni is just the most amazing guy. His room is available open 24 hours a day. Anyone can go up there and just sit. He has got his lounge room, players just sit around, they start talking cricket, some of them like the shisha, you know, the flavoured tobacco stuff. That is their way of socialising. Credit to Dhoni, he opens his room up — lots of players go up, they bring food up, it is fantastic.”
Cricket is consistently evolving and the traditional way of scolding players consistently and keeping them on their toes frequently is unlikely to help them attain a free mind. If players are to perform well on the field, the atmosphere off the pitch plays as important a role as a captain’s behaviour on the 22 yards. Although the 44-year-old is often branded as ‘Captain Cool’, Dhoni has also had the odd moments where he has lost his composure. Having played over 500 games for India and making more than 250 appearances in IPL, Dhoni also has had to face challenges of intense heat, long sessions of practice and the scrutiny on himself to get the best out of the players as captain. As much as players are expected to maintain their cool, the mitigating factor is they are not robots and the emotions are bound to pour over at some stage.
Nevertheless, Dhoni’s welcoming nature off the field and adapting new ways to communicate the youngsters sets him apart. As among the best when it comes to running between the wickets, Dhoni might also want to consider the impact hookah has on fitness, especially for the youngsters, who are on the verge of making it big.
Has MS Dhoni’s ‘hookah’ habit backfired?
Nevertheless, it’s also worth reflecting on whether the 44-year-old’s tactic of bonding with youngsters over hookah has caused a stir among other cricketers. Dhoni’s former teammate Irfan Pathan spilled the beans during an interview about asking for clarification from the captain over his performance during the 2007-08 Commonwealth Bank series. He said, as quoted by The Times of India:
“Yes, I asked him. During the 2008 Australia series, Mahi bhai’s statement came out in the media that Irfan wasn’t bowling well. I thought I had bowled well throughout the series, so I went and asked Mahi bhai. Sometimes statements are twisted in the media, so I also wanted to clarify. Mahi bhai said, ‘No Irfan, there is nothing like this, everything’s going as per plans.’ When you get a reply like this, you believe that okay, you do what you can. Also if you keep asking for explanations again and again after that, you hurt your self-respect.”
Pathan’s statement also explosively hinted at favouritism when he stated:
“I don’t have a habit of setting up hookah in someone’s room or talking about this. Everyone knows. Sometimes if you don’t speak about it, it’s better. A cricketer’s job is to perform on the field and that is what I used to focus on.”
As it stands out, Dhoni’s tactic seems to be a combination of promise and pitfalls. But upcoming cricketers will be willing to pick the ex-Indian skipper’s brains to guide those coming after them.
