NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni might be ageing, but there's no sign of his popularity waning in the slightest; in fact, the former Chennai Super Kings skipper continues to be the most sought-after cricketer in the IPL 2024.
The 42-year-old Dhoni has found a new admirer in former Australian legendary wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist who feels the former India World Cup-winning captain attained the stature of 'Holy Grail'.
"Well but the thing about MS. I think he is absolutely the holy grail because he just doesn't do interviews. And never and haven't doesn't done press. Didn't do it when he was playing. No, just a blanket no," Gilchrist while speaking with former England captain Michael Vaughan on the Club Prairie Fire podcast.
Dhoni, who batted for the first time in this season in CSK's last match against Delhi Capitals, treated his fans to some delightful shots enroute 37 not out off 16 balls.
Gilchrist was surprised by the way Dhoni batted, considering he hadn't gotten a chance in CSK's first two matches.
IPL 2024 Points Table |
IPL 2024 Schedule"And what about the other day, no one was really sure what he's got left in the tank and didn't bat in the first couple of games. All being in a losing cause pulled the trigger. Turned the clock back," he said.
Vaughan replied to Gilchrist's query saying Dhoni is probably the only sportsperson in the globe that the focus remains on him despite being ended on the losing side.
"37 off 16, there's only I reckon maybe only one sportsperson in the globe that's team could lose and on the opposition was a young fella called Rishabh Pant who has made a remarkable comeback and it's great to see him playing. But to see him playing so well and see him play the way he did and his team was the winning side and he was the captain yet all the talk was about MS's 37 off 16 balls.
5 most dismissals in T20I by a wicket keeper
That is how powerful and gotta remember Delhi Capitals. It was played at Vizag and that was their home game and the whole ground was yellow. It's a little bit like in the Premier League. At the minute I think it's 10 games to go and all the Liverpool fans want to see Jürgen Klopp. So every single game is huge because they wanna see Klopp. And you get a sense over here that every single game the grounds jam packed in yellow because they are just thinking and it might not because he's not announced it. They are just thinking this could be Dhoni's last year playing cricket and they wanna make sure they get a glimpse of it," Vaughan said.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
Read MoreThe TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide.
From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more.
The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics.
We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects.
We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.
Read Less