Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has just revealed the unique mentorship displayed by the former captain of India, MS Dhoni. If any case study is made on Thakur, it would testify that Dhoni’s philosophy on talent development has greatly influenced fellow teammates to become independent and flourish.
MS Dhoni is the only captain to have won all three major ICC trophies, including the T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and Champions Trophy—leaving an almost indelible mark on Indian cricket. Equally praiseworthy was his leadership during his time with the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Thakur shared his experiences of Dhoni’s style of mentorship during a recent event; he has had the privilege of playing under his captaincy both for India and CSK.
“Playing with him has always been special because he allows us to grow. He allows us to come up with our own plan. So, he will never spoon-feed us. He will say, ‘Tomorrow I might not be available behind the wickets. What will you do? Go back to your room, think about your game, and come up with your plans. If it doesn’t work, then I will intervene,'” Shardul Thakur explained to the media.
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The Thakur-Dhoni duo has functioned very effectively in the IPL, wherein Dhoni has been a part of 14 of Thakur’s dismissals as a wicketkeeper across 71 innings. For the national side, while they have played together seven times, Dhoni was involved in only two of Thakur’s dismissals.
He added to this list, which included Dhoni’s contribution to Indian cricket as a whole. Thakur credited him for grooming young talents and, in particular, stressed how Dhoni had supported players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in their career.
“The legacy he has left behind, with three ICC Trophies and grooming of so many youngsters, is huge. Even the current greats, I would say, Virat and Rohit, everybody in their life had a time, through which they could have been dropped. But the great MS Dhoni backed them, and look at what they have achieved from 2012 onwards up till now,” Shardul Thakur concluded.
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That incident epitomizes Dhoni’s leadership, which is not just about winning games at the moment but also about developing his players in the long run. The way he empowered his colleagues to think independently and the belief in them throughout their early days are lasting legacies left by him on Indian cricket.
