All These Players Have Come Up Because MS Dhoni Backed Them - Saba Karim On KL Rahul’s ‘Ready To Take Bullet For Him’ Statement
Published - 10 Jul 2021, 01:46 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 05:03 PM
Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has reacted to KL Rahul‘s recent bold statement regarding captain MS Dhoni. Rahul, who began his international career in 2014, has recently stated that he and his teammates who have played under MS Dhoni would even “take a bullet for him without a second thought”.
The dashing right-hander may have gone a bit overboard with his eyebrow-raising statement, but it is showing the admiration and respect Rahul and other players have for the World Cup-winning skipper.
“Yes, he has won a lot of tournaments, done amazing things for the country but I think the biggest achievement that as captain you can have is the respect of your teammates and any of us would take a bullet for him without a second thought,” Rahul said while speaking to Forbes India.
MS Dhoni depicts what India stands for: Saba Karim
Saba Karim, who has worked closely with MS Dhoni during his tenure as an administrator with BCCI, says that such high-respect remarks from players show the adulation the Ranchi-born has attained through his work on and off the field.
He reckons MS Dhoni’s “biggest achievement” is the trust he has gained from the players by giving them full support and backing. Karim adds that the Chennai Super Kings captain embodies India as a country, its “character and personality”.
“He has earned the respect of the players. Perhaps the biggest achievement of his is the trust of these players. Everyone, be it any fan, players, common man, or the corporate world, loves and respects him so much.
“MS Dhoni depicts what India stands for. His character and personality personifies the concept of how India defines itself as a country,” Saba Karim said on the Khelniti podcast.
“I have never heard him sledge or mock any player. He used to always encourage the bowlers. KL Rahul, Ishant Sharma, and Yuzvendra Chahal have played under Dhoni. But they weren’t there when India won the 2013 Champions Trophy or the 2011 World Cup.
“All these players have come up because Dhoni has backed and encouraged them,” he added.
