MS Dhoni is a cricketer who has charmed his way into every Indian cricket fans’ hearts thanks to his calm and affable nature.
Despite being a powerful hitter, Dhoni is a fun and witty person both on and off it. Here are 10 of his most memorable quotes:
“God is not coming to save us”
During the famous Champions Trophy win in 2013, India had to defend a paltry total of 130 in 20 overs. Dhoni is said to have spoken to his team before they headed out for the second innings and is said to have uttered these very words.
“Because India is the largest team in the world now” –
When a journo asked the captain why Dhawan was only able to score against the smaller teams, Dhoni replied with this statement, going to show how witty and insightful he could be at the same time.
“We have chased 350+ twice but nobody talks about the Aussie bowling line-up”:
Dhoni came to his teams’ defence during an exciting series against Australia a few years back. When a reporter asked about India’s poor bowling performances, Dhoni reiterated by saying that the Australian bowlers were worse if they couldn’t defend 350 twice.
“When I look at the mirror, I see a lot of grey beard.”
When someone asked him in 2014 what had changed since the T20 World Cup, they would have expected Dhoni to talk about how he’s grown as a person and how the journey has been. Dhoni however simply said that he had more white in his facial hair. Ok then.
“You need to file a PIL”
When Dhoni was asked if the match he played was his last ODI, he simply smiled and said that the person would need to file a PIL. Dhoni is famous for suddenly announcing things – such as his retirement from Tests and relinquishing his captaincy, so this too, could be a surprise.
“I have three dogs at home. Even after losing a series or winning a series, they treat me the same way.”
After he captained India to a famous World Cup win in 2011, Dhoni was asked if his life had changed. He said that his dogs helped him remain grounded and that he was treated the same no matter when he went home.
“Well, it’s something that doesn’t really belong to anyone. We definitely took it from someone and somebody took it from us.”
India’s defence of its 2011 World Cup came to an end after the semis in the 2015 edition. Dhoni however, took a more realistic view of the situation and did not make it seem like something massively bad had happened. He was asked about surrendering the cup to the finalists.
“Till the full stop comes, the sentence is not complete.”
When Dhoni was asked if India had already lost a series despite them being midway through it, he came up with this classic.
“We will lose someday, may be in 20 years, maybe in 50 years.”
Despite India holding a superb 11-0 record against Pakistan in World Cups, Dhoni had a more pragmatic view of the situation. He said that all good things must come to an end and the jinx would break someday. Not soon though.
“You die, you die, you don’t see which is the better way to die.”
When asked if a whitewash in Australia would hurt more than the one in England, Dhoni curtly replied that he viewed everything the same. Dhoni is famous for saying that he does not treat cricket like it is a matter of life and death and this attitude helped him stay cool throughout.
By Rohit Nair
