’Dhoni’s personality ensured he earned respect from the whole world’

Former India batsman VVS Laxman sheds light on how MS Dhonis personality ensured he earned respect from the whole world

'Dhoni's personality ensured he earned respect from the whole world'

.V.S.Laxman (L) talks with Mahendra Singh Dhoni (R) during the second day of the second Test match between Indian and West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on November 15, 2011. Picture/ AFP

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, much to the surprise of his fans, the BCCI and his colleagues alike. After his decision, many cricketers past and present, took to social media to congratulate him on his career and pay tributes to his achievements. The latest to speak on MS Dhoni is former Indian batsman VVS Laxman.

Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show Cricket Connected, former India batsman VVS Laxman sheds light on how MS Dhoni’s personality ensured he earned respect from the whole world, "Love comes from the cricketing fans for your cricketing achievements, but respect comes by the way you have conducted yourself, by the way you carried yourself. And I always felt that captaining the Indian team is probably the toughest challenge for anyone, you know, because there’s so much of expectations from everyone around the world. All the Indians around the world want the Indian team to do well, so there’s a lot of responsibility on the Indian team captain. But MS Dhoni has always been emotionally detached from the results. The way he has inspired millions of Indians, not only the sports fans, but millions of Indians on how to conduct and how to become an ambassador of your country, how to carry yourself in the public domain. And that’s why he’s so respected. When you see the social media posts, it’s not only from the former players or the cricketing fans, it’s from all the Indians, whether you take film stars, socialites, esteemed businessmen, politicians. Around the world, all the former cricketers, all the cricketing fraternity have thanked MS Dhoni for his contribution not to Indian cricket, but world cricket."

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Sachin : Saw Dhoni's acumen standing in slips and told BCCI he is next captain

Standing in the first slip and observing Mahendra Singh Dhoni's match-reading skills convinced Sachin Tendulkar that he was ready for India captaincy, something he told the BCCI when he was asked for his suggestion back in 2007. "I wouldn't get into details how it happened but yes I did say when I was asked (by the senior BCCI people) as to what do I think," Tendulkar recollected during an interview to PTI on the just-retired former India captain. "I had mentioned that I won't be going to SA as I was carrying a few injuries... But back then, I used to stand in the slip cordon and I used to interact with MS and understand what he was thinking, the field setting and I would discuss all those aspects. "I observed his match reading and I came to a conclusion that he had a good cricketing brain so I suggested to the board that this is what I feel. MS should be the next one to take charge," India's greatest batsman recollected what transpired 13 summers back.