I Asked MS Dhoni About How He Deals With Pressure: Shardul Thakur

India and Mumbai seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur has revealed that conversations with the legendary MS Dhoni on how he deals with pressure helped him immensely during the time when he was on the sidelines from the Test set-up.

Shardul Thakur made his Test debut against the West Indies in 2018 but what should have been a momentous occasion for the Mumbai seamer quickly turned out to be a catastrophic one as he was ruled out of the game after having bowled just ten deliveries.

With the Indian team brimming with fast bowling stocks, Shardul did not another crack at Test cricket for the better part of the next two years. The opportunity eventually came in the unlikeliest of circumstances during the recently concluded Australian tour.

With the entire first-choice pace attack injured, Thakur got a well-deserved call-up in the series-decider at the Gabba in Brisbane, and he ensured that he made use of the opportunity to the hilt.

Thakur went on to claim as many as seven wickets across two innings in what a beautiful display of conventional swing bowling. Not only that, the seam-bowling all-rounder top-scored with the bat [67] in India’s first innings and it was his 123-run-stand with debutant Washington Sundar that paved the way for an eventual Indian win.

Shardul Thakur, who has played under the leadership of MS Dhoni at the Chennai Super Kings since 2018, revealed in a recent interview, how he used to pick the legendary former Indian skipper’s brain on how he used to deal with pressure.

“Mostly, I’ve asked him (Dhoni) about how he deals with pressure. He’s dealt with it as a player, captain, member of a losing side. At the same time, he’s received love as a member of a winning side. So, you know, he’s had all kinds of experiences.” Shardul Thakur told PTI.

“Whenever he shares his experience, we have something to learn from him. He is a kind of man who will say something each and every day and if you’re smart enough to pick it up, you’ll keep learning. Each and every day, you’ll learn something or the other.” he added.

Also Read: Yes I Can Be Called A Bowling All-Rounder: Shardul Thakur After His All-Round Performance At The Gabba