Thisara Perera snubs Sri Lanka greats, declares MS Dhoni as his best captain
Published - 16 Mar 2025, 01:56 PM
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Sri Lankan Lions captain Thisara Perera reflected on his Indian Premier League (IPL) journey and a memorable experience with the Indian legend MS Dhoni during the Asian Legends League 2025 in Nathdwara. The former Sri Lankan batter has played under several captains throughout his career, but it was MS Dhoni who left a significant mark on him and his career.
Thisara Perera has picked Dhoni as the best captain he has ever played under. The Sri Lankan star played under the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2010 and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in 2016, during which he got to know about Dhoni’s leadership and approach to the game.
Thisara Perera hails MS Dhoni as his best captain ever
Thisara Perera was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda, “Sometimes when I did forward defense, MS Dhoni would come and say, 'TP, what are you doing? You are a genuine power hitter. Don't do this. Go for every ball.' Those kinds of words really build up the confidence of the youngsters. So at that time I was 20 years old. For the cricket culture, it is very young. I loved to work with him.”
Recently, Perera recalled an IPL match with the Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) when his team was struggling after losing multiple wickets early on. As Perera walked in to bat, he found himself uncertain about whether to play aggressively or take a careful approach.
But Dhoni, with his calm yet authoritative presence, encouraged Perera to back his natural game and go for his shots. After his advice, Perera played a crucial knock, and alongside Dhoni’s own masterclass, they steered the team to a competitive total.
Thisara Perera recalls MS Dhoni's advise
The Sri Lankan star added, “I remember one incident. It was from a match for Rising Pune Supergiant. We lost four or five early wickets. When I came out, I was confused whether to bat aggressively or look for singles. So, I did my routine forward defense.
MS came to me and said, 'TP, what are you doing?' I said we have lost wickets. He said, 'Go for every ball.'. At the end of the day, we were 60/5, and we finished with 190/7. I scored 40, and MS scored 80 or 90 something.”
Even today, whenever he steps onto the field, Perera draws motivation from those moments with Dhoni. The words of the legendary CSK captain continue to remind the former left-handed batter, who represented over 40 franchises worldwide, to trust his instincts as a power-hitter.
Personally, my best captain in the world is MS Dhoni: Thisara Perera
Perera signed off by saying, “Personally, my best captain in the world. I played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant under him. He gave me a lot of confidence as a power hitter. He always trusted me.”
Notably, Perera is currently leading the Sri Lankan Lions in the ongoing Asian Legends League 2025. They will now face either Indian Royals or Asian Stars in Qualifier 2 of the Asian Legends League 2025 on March 17 in Udaipur, where the final will be held on March 18.
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Thisara Perera IPL MS Dhoni India National Cricket Team Sri Lanka National Cricket Team Chennai Super Kings
