MS Dhoni Never Compromised On Fielding: R Sridhar
It is difficult to keep track of all the improvements to Indian cricket that the legendary MS Dhoni brought about. In 2007, Dhoni was named the team’s new captain, and Indian cricket has not looked back since.
India won the T20 World Cup, the 50-over World Cup, and the Champions Trophy under his leadership.
In addition to getting the most out of his men, he ensured that India achieved the top of the ICC Test rankings. He made risky and ambitious choices, some of which completely altered the Indian cricket scene.
He chose Rohit Sharma to bat at the top in ODIs and supported a young Virat Kohli despite his struggles in his early Test matches. We all know the results of those choices.
Virat Kohli Took That Forward: R Sridhar
But Dhoni’s greatest contribution to Indian cricket was the way the game was portrayed. For many years, batting and bowling were the only two aspects of Indian cricket, but under Dhoni, fielding and fitness began to receive equal attention and significance.
Former India fielding coach R Sridhar described how Dhoni made it very plain that for him, the two areas where there was absolutely no tolerance for complacency were fielding and running between the wickets. Sridhar joined the squad in 2014 when Dhoni was captain.
“MS… when he was captain, he led the fielding. And the running between the wicket was to me, an eye opener. MS said that ‘two things that are non-negotiable for me are fielding and running between the wicket’.
“And that is something which still holds true. And the kind of emphasis he laid on fielding, Virat took it forward. Ravi always said that the 11 best fielders will take the park. So that is the kind of importance that was laid on fielding,” Sridhar told Cricket.com.
