Mahendra Singh Dhoni: 7 Fans, 7 States, 7 Stories

“All I could hear people say was, Dhoni, you have given us everything.”
~Mayanti Langar on the events that transpired after the run-out at Old Trafford on 9th July 2019

433 days later, Rishabh Raj told me that he had already made up his mind that it was his idol’s last walk back to the pavilion wearing blue.
Like a fool then, I asked him what MS Dhoni meant to him?

He thought for a while and said, “It’s very tough to describe what he means to me.”

And he wasn’t wrong, I have known Rishabh Bhaiya for five years now and when I say that his story is very closely associated with Dhoni’s, you have to believe me.

Rishabh hails from Patratu, a small but beautiful town in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand. He is currently working as a digital journalist at ETV Hyderabad.

A small but important detail in Rishabh’s story is that his hometown is 43.6 km away from the capital of the state, Ranchi. And that is how close-knitted his relationship is with Mahi.

Rishabh and I have graduated from the same college and it was during our time in Ranchi that ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’ was released on the big screens, across the world. You can see the famous valley of Patratu for a good 23 seconds in the movie (from 1:06:29 to 1:06:52).

For Rishabh and anyone in Jharkhand, even a five-second shot in the movie of a location in Ranchi or Patratu means a lot. I can confirm, as I was there listening to the hooting and the whistling in a packed theatre in Ranchi.

“To date, I have travelled 14 States,” my friend and college senior said.

He further added, “Whoever asked me where my hometown was, I just said it was near Dhoni’s hometown. And then, I would be greeted with a smile.”

As he told me, Rishabh first heard about Dhoni when he was listening to Akashwani with his grandfather back in 2004. The boy from Ranchi had made it to the Indian Cricket Team. And this meant something for Grandpa to share with everyone around. After all, he was the first of his kind in Jharkhand.

“I remember watching his 183* against Sri Lanka on TV. I still get goosebumps remembering that game,” said Rishabh.
Partly sunk in his childhood nostalgia, he added, “I was the happiest when he crossed the 172 mark. Because that meant Adam Gilchrist’s record for highest runs in an ODI inning was broken. I was dancing on the road with happiness and shouting Dhoni Dho Diya.”

For Rishabh, who wants to make it to the television screen one day, a Mahi quote injects more inspiration than any book, movie, or person.
“Process is important, not the result. This pushes me and many others to wake up every morning and get going without thinking much about the result,” he said.

1,998 km away from Patratu, in the state of Tamil Nadu is Arjun Dhananjayan’s hometown, Salem. Though Arjun has never met Rishabh, he completely agrees with the thought.

“When everyone is under pressure thinking about the result, he maintains his composure and thinks about the present,” said Arjun on the same.

Arjun is the founder and creative head of 88GB Communications. An advertising and marketing agency. As someone whose bread and butter beats around business, he couldn’t help but relate his domain to Dhoni’s.

“I see a lot of common things between business and sports,” he said. “I can relate a cricket team to a startup. A small one. Every individual has a role to fulfill. I think he (Dhoni) can be a pretty good CEO.”

But it wasn’t just a mere coincidence that Arjun could find a connection between his profession with that of Dhoni. MS has had a way to the heart of people in Tamil Nadu.

“I don’t think the people have celebrated a person from the outside like Dhoni. I think he is the first,” Arjun explained.

“People have a personal connection with him. More than the local players. Murali Vijay. Ashwin. Badrinath. Because of the personality he carries. He is more than a sportsman, player, or a captain. He is more like a neighbourhood guy, who they (people of Chennai, Tamil Nadu) are being represented by,” he added.

Which no one can deny when they see ‘Thala’ peacefully taking a nap on the airport floor, waiting for the boarding announcement. He is India’s most genuine desi icon.

For Arjun though, the quality of Dhoni that stands out is his ability to understand and nurture his teammates’ abilities. Him giving Joginder Sharma the final over to bowl in the T-20 World Cup final being a top example, as he told me.

Another person who saw that final over and got touched by the Mahi way is Harsh Shukla. Harsh hails from Upleta, a small town in Rajkot district of Gujarat. He is currently working as a journalist in Bangalore. But when the long-haired boy from Ranchi captained India in the inaugural T20 final, he was in Upleta, watching the match in the most amazing of circumstances.

“Mujhe ab bhi yaad hai September ka mahina tha aur final ke din bahot tezz baarish ho rhi thi,” Harsh said as he recalled that fateful day.
“Back then our only sources to watch the World Cup games were the two electronic shops in our town. For the final, almost everyone was there, and we caused a blockade on the street,” he further added.

Harsh also told me that even a few cops watched that game with them. And as for the vehicles trying to pass the street, it was a ‘kindly take another route’ gesture shown by the men in Khakhi.

When Dhoni handed the ball to Jogi for the final over, just like everyone, everywhere in the country, the fans from Upleta weren’t convinced.
“Pehle wide aur phir jb Misbah ne chhakka maara, toh sbki saase fool gyi,” said Harsh as he explains the reaction of people when Pakistan was set to win the game.

He did remember watching MS walking to Jogi, putting his hand on his shoulders, telling him something, and going back to his sacred spot. Followed by a historic moment. India’s victory. But for my friend what Dhoni did post that win was something that stood out.

“Wo (Dhoni) apne mast maula andaaz mai, ek smile ke saath chalke jaa rhe hai,” he said, remembering Dhoni’s post-match demeanor. He then added, “He had just won the World Cup. That too after a final against Pakistan! But his reaction was that of someone getting a job or a promotion. He had a smile matching that of an employee post their boss’ greeting on a job well done.”

For teenage Harsh, that was the moment where he fell for the excellence of India’s number seven. Something beyond the game. Having known him as a friend, I know for a fact that he draws a different inspiration from India’s best limited-overs captain.

“Wo bhi chhote sheher se aata hai. Bade sapne dekhe the usne aur poore bhi kiye,” he said. “Mai bhi ek chhote gaav se belong krta hu. Kuch sapne hai mere, jo poore krna chahta hu. Mahi mujhse inspiration deta hai.”

It is perhaps the biggest legacy of MS Dhoni. That he has helped break the mindset hurdle for small-town youth to dream big and work hard. For Harsh, who aspires to become a political journalist one day, this inspiration helps him in some way to move towards his aspiration.

Aishwarya Jayasimha, Harsh’s college junior draws inspiration on the same line in her own story. Being from Hyderabad, which has its own IPL franchise and supporting Chennai Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in a clash against the home team does take some courage. And a number seven on the other end.

“People have asked me why I wouldn’t support my home team, SRH in the stadium. My answer always remained the same – They don’t have Dhoni,” said Aishwarya when I asked her about the same.

Talking further on this she added, “Attending CSK matches was a huge part of my childhood. Even after the match ended, I would only leave the stands after the guards would yell at me. I always stood there for one last glimpse of Dhoni. I would have to wait for an entire year to see him again.”

For Aishwarya, the love for Mahi isn’t limited to his performance as a batsman, wicket-keeper, or even his leadership skills in the game. Dhoni has been a mentor to her. One who has had a massive influence on her personality.

 

“I believe I was eight when I first heard the name Dhoni. Not because of his wicket-keeping skills or a high score in a match, but because a line from one of his interviews caught my attention,” said Aishwarya.

“He spoke about how important it is for someone to be humble and grounded. How he always treated a doorman with the same level of respect that he offered to the CEO of a company. I remember smiling at the television screen as I knew right then and there, I found a role model to look up to,” she added.

When I asked Aishwarya the tough question about life without Mahi on the ground, she answered in the most Dhoni way possible.
She said, “I think he’s a man whose life could never have been restricted to those 22 yards. I believe he was chasing a dream all these years. And now, well, it’s time for a new dream.”

Speaking of those 22 yards, Rhea Binoy also believes that the impact and influence which Mahi has had over the years by staying in his zone is immeasurable.

For Rhea, who hails from Pune, Maharashtra, the major takeaway from the MS Dhoni story is how it pushes youngsters such as herself to work hard, have faith in their abilities, and give the best. Success will follow, sooner or later.

“I heard about him when he was announced as the captain of the Indian Cricket team before the WT20 in South Africa in 2007,” she said when I asked her about the Mahi connection.

“Since my family had a lot of love for the game of cricket, I started getting into the discussions about that tournament. I had an encyclopedia which had a section dedicated to cricket,” she further added with an excitement of a true cricket nerd. “The way young Dhoni handled a young Indian squad. The faith and belief he showed in them. I became a fan right away. I was a kid back then, and the influence this man has had on my life is what I will always be grateful for.”

For Rhea, every generation must get to witness a historic sporting moment. As she said, “For our parents, it was 1983, Kapil Dev lifting the trophy at Lord’s. For us it was MS Dhoni-led Indian side winning in 2011 at home soil.”

Which is also her favorite sporting memory just because of the sheer atmosphere and energy that had covered the entire country.

When I did ask her to choose between Dhoni the batsman, the wicketkeeper, or the captain, she gave me a balanced and unprejudiced journalistic answer. Backed with the numbers.

However, one very important fact that she talked about was how Dhoni the wicketkeeper used to keep a fine eye on the batsman, batting in front of him. An ability that made him a ‘street smart’ cricketer. Also, a position that made Kshitish Pandey notice him.

“Post the 2003 World Cup I was heartbroken. I legit cried in the washroom that night,” Kshitish said.

He further added, “I remember post that World Cup, many changes were made to the team. One of them was a new wicketkeeper-batsman with long hair and orange wicketkeeping gloves. And that is my first memory of MS Dhoni.”

Kshitish emphasized the point to me that he begged his parents to buy him the same wicketkeeping gloves. I did not ask him if he got them. I think he would’ve worn them when he kept wickets for the great Muttiah Muralidharan. But that story is for some other day.

Growing up in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Kshitish spent a significant amount of his childhood and teenage playing cricket. And for him, just like most of us, watching Dhoni bat was a bolt from the blue. In the negative, that is.

“Every time he came in to bat, it felt like he won’t survive for more than two deliveries. Given his unusual and unorthodox style,” Kshitish said. “I used to get scared every time he came out to bat, but somehow, it is 2020 and he is still batting.”

Although when I did bring in the hard question about MS Dhoni and his time left in yellow, both Kshitish and I went with the answer that we might be witnessing Thala’s version of ‘The Last Dance’.

For someone who believes he is ‘Pal do pal ka shayar’ despite people worshipping him, retiring from the IPL shouldn’t be that hard. Given that the national jersey is the hardest to earn and hardest to part ways with.

However, what would it mean for his fans to watch India play without the number seven? Lakshaya Rastogi, my friend from Bathinda, Punjab, talked to me about that.

“Yaar, when I hear that word, Mahi………when I see the entire stadium chanting his name as he walks in………..baadalo mai silver lining dikhne lg jaati hai!” he said. “Even now when I am talking to you about it, I am getting goosebumps.”

His love for stories tempted me to ask him the question, “What do you think of the MS Dhoni story?”

To this, Lakshaya said, “When I used to watch and play cricket as a kid, we had players like Dada, Yuvi, Bhajji and many more. But they were all aggressive. I thought to be successful and at their level, one had to be aggressive. And then this guy came and changed the way I thought.”

He then told me about the emotions that ran through him after he saw that Instagram post. The fact that he couldn’t register that he will never get to see MS Dhoni and his calming presence, wearing the blue shirt.

“Yaar wo kehte hai na, kahaniyaan rukni nhi chahiye. Kahaniyaan chlti rhni chahiye,” said Lakshaya and then paused for a while.

He then completed his statement, “I can’t imagine not seeing Dhoni on the ground. Best captain! Best Fielder! Best player! He has given us everything.”