IND vs BAN: MS Dhoni used to bowl to Dinesh Karthik - Aakash Chopra reveals stunning unheard tale

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra recently shared an interesting story about legendary MS Dhoni before the wicketkeeper-batter made his debut for India. Aakash Chopra recalled that MS Dhoni never used to bat in the nets and instead bowled to fellow wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik.

MS Dhoni guided the India national cricket team to three ICC trophy wins under his captaincy. The veteran cricketer also won five titles for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team. Dhoni retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020, but continues to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

That Was A Very Different MS Dhoni - Aakash Chopra

Speaking to Raj Shamani on his YouTube show, Aakash Chopra opened up about MS Dhoni's early cricketing days, describing him as "carefree but not careless." Chopra said that Dhoni delivered an impressive performance when given a chance in Kenya.

The former Indian opener shared how Dhoni dominated Pakistan pacer Iftikhar Anjum, who used to bowl at over 140 km/h. Chopra said that Dhoni hit a four and followed it up with a six after the bowler adjusted his field. He added that he had never seen a batter reverse sweep like Dhoni played at the time.

“So that was a very different Dhoni - carefree but not careless. Carefree because he was very confident and happy with where he was, and not careless because when he got an opportunity, in Kenya and not in Zimbabwe, he batted like a man possessed," Chopra said.

"Before him, I never saw a batter hit a reverse sweep against a bowler. There was a Pakistan bowler named Iftikhar Anjum, who used to bowl at 140+kmph and already played for his country...Dhoni hit him for a four at fine leg. The bowler changed his field, sent back the fine leg fielder and called in the one at third man, but Dhoni smashed the next ball for a six over the third man region," he added.

MS Dhoni Is Just Talented - Aakash Chopra

The commentator said that MS Dhoni rarely batted in the nets and instead bowled to his teammates. Chopra said that Dhoni replied that he enjoyed bowling when questioned about not batting in the nets. He added that Dhoni's wicketkeeping skills were exceptional even without regular practice.

"I was like, 'Who is this guy?' He never used to bat in the nets. He, in fact, used to bowl to Dinesh Karthik, his competitor. He wasn't getting the opportunity to play, but he wanted to keep himself involved. I told him, 'Why are you bowling to Karthik? Why aren't you batting?" Chopra commented.

"If he keeps batting and does all the scoring, when will you bat?' But he replied saying, 'No, I just want to bowl because I'm enjoying it.' He is just talented. In fact, he does not practice keeping that much, but his hands are faster than anyone in the world even now,” he further added.

MS Dhoni made his international debut for India in December of that year. He played his first ODI against Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2004. He earned his Test cap a year later and made his T20I debut the following year. It was the beginning of Dhoni's illustrious career in international cricket.

Dhoni played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is for India. He scored 10,773 ODI runs at an average of 50.57 and a strike rate of 87.56, with 10 centuries. Dhoni amassed 4,876 runs in Tests and 1,617 runs in T20Is. Notably, he was named "Player of the Match" in the 2011 ODI World Cup final match.

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