Shahbaz Nadeem, MS Dhoni
Shahbaz Nadeem (L) in conversation with MS Dhoni. Credit: Twitter

There is little denying that MS Dhoni is one of the sharpest minds in the game. One of the most decorated captains in the history of the game, MS Dhoni’s shrewd captaincy and street-smartness is well known to world cricket. Unsurprisingly, almost every player wants to pick his brain whenever he gets the opportunity.

Time and again one has seen players talking to MS Dhoni after the game to take suggestions from him. On the field, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman has been seen guiding the bowlers from behind the stumps. Well, when the former India skipper joined the Jharkhand team for the 2017-18 Vijay Hazare Trophy, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem also decided to take some tips from him.

The spinner used the opportunity to ask MS Dhoni about how to get the better of Chris Gayle. While Shahbaz Nadeem was playing IPL since 2011, he was yet to bowl to Gayle. Being a left-arm spinner was only going to make things tougher for Nadeem against the West Indies legend.

Shahbaz Nadeem
Shahbaz Nadeem. Credit: AP

Speaking to Aakash Chopra for his YouTube channel, Nadeem revealed that he was bowling chinaman from two years in order to prepare himself for the fight against Gayle. And when he met MS Dhoni in the Jharkhand dressing room, he decided to ask him about how to dismiss the West Indian.

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In reply, MS Dhoni had hilariously told him: “The first thing is never bowl to Gayle.”

Nadeem then went on to reveal MS Dhoni’s advice, stating that the veteran asked him to keep the ball close to Gayle’s body so that the latter finds it tough to hit the big shots. The spinner further said he asked the India star whether it would be a good option to bowl chinaman against Gayle. In reply, MS Dhoni told him to go ahead with the plan only if can execute it.

Well, Nadeem went on to bowl chinaman to Gayle in IPL 2017 and managed to dismiss him.

Here is the video of Nadeem’s conversation with Chopra (For the Dhoni part, skip to 9:50)

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