When MS Dhoni handed his gloves to Dinesh Karthik during T20 World Cup.

Overview:

This year’s IPL has been one of the most electrifying editions of the league with old records being shackled and new ones being created every other day. The record for the highest run in a match by any IPL team was broken twice this year and that too by the same team- Sunrisers Hyderabad.

But that is just a small part of the eccentricity that the IPL has incited this year. The ultimate thing that has taken this year’s edition by storm is Thala’s mind-boggling comeback with the bat.

While Dhoni’s fans are enchanted with his massive strike rate, there are hardly a few out there who know this fact about India’s ‘go to man’ when it comes down to wicketkeeping.

When MS Dhoni handed his gloves to Dinesh Karthik during T20 World Cup:

Back in 2007, during the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, MS Dhoni made a historical decision which raised quite a few eye brows across the cricketing world, however the masterstroke went into the books of record as an unsung tale, never to be seen ever after that match.

The ‘Men in Blue’ were up against the mighty Proteas to seal their spot in the Semi Finals of the World Cup. India posted a modest 153 runs batting first on a testing surface. Though the South Africans never looked confident in their skin, and they left nothing much to say about their batting debacle, there was one such event during the second innings of the match that was quite astonishing to many Dhoni fanatics and cricket lovers across the globe.

Midway during the Proteas’ batting, MS Dhoni gave his wicketkeeping gloves to his contemporary Dinesh Karthik and went on to field in the mid off position, as it quite close to the bowler and easier to run the game while fielding. Later it was discovered that the Indian captain was nursing a lower back injury and hence decided to let Karthik keep the wickets. Consequently, Karthik stepped up and proved his captain right by stumping two South African batters, leading India to their first ever Semi Final match in the maiden edition of the tournament.

Before DK’s wonderful performance behind the stumps, he had grabbed a blinder to dismiss South Africa’s premier batter Graeme Smith.

Here is the link to the highlights from the match against the mighty Proteas’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2J10ksllrM

There is a lot to learn from Dhoni’s gesture of letting Karthik keep the wickets, despite being a keeper himself. This shows how a captains inculcates a sense of trust inside the dressing room.

MS Dhoni’s remarkable ability to back his players and foster a secure environment within the dressing room was a key factor in India’s emphatic triumphs under his leadership.

With his calm demeanor and nonchalant approach to the game, Dhoni provided Team India with an invaluable edge. His adeptness at handling pressure and maintaining his composure played a pivotal role in India’s resounding success when he was at the helm. Since his departure, Team India has often struggled to reach the knockout stages of ICC tournaments. The story of India’s debacles at ICC tournaments since their ICC Champions Trophy triumph in 2013 is a different tale altogether. I have attached a link to a classic Cricwallah article that delves deeper into Team India’s conundrum at ICC tournaments  ever since the advent of the Indian Premier League.

 

 

Here is the link to another Cricwallah classic that uncovers the reason behind India’s debacle at T20 World Cup ever since the inception of the IPL: 

https://cricwallah.com/india-never-won-a-single-t20-world-cup-ever-since-ipl-began/