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Dhoni finishes off in style I still vividly remember that day, exactly a decade ago from this point in time, when India lifted the World Cup trophy in 2011 for ODI Cricket. The exact words from the commentary box in Ravi Shastri’s voice were as follows: “…and it’s an Indian Captain who is absolutely brilliant on the night of the final… Party begins in Mumbai.” The entire nation celebrated that day with such enthusiasm that it felt like a national holiday. It was not just a victory for Team India, but the story of the heroics of many individuals who came together to achieve a common goal. Why does one need to set aside their ego when working in a team? You will find the answer in this article.
Let’s first talk about Captain cool, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I would like to mention an incident when Dhoni was giving net practice to Dinesh Kartik as a bowler, even though Dhoni’s place in the team was not certain. Despite knowing that Dinesh was his competitor for the wicket-keeper position, Dhoni threw balls to him. This incident reflects the sheer character of Dhoni. He is humble, and I would say egoless. That is a good sign of any leader. He even served drinks to Suresh Raina when Raina was playing as the twelfth man in the team, despite being the skipper. Such gestures earn respect in the dressing room. When the Indian team was filled with senior players, having a player who can set aside their ego and lead from the front is crucial. Dhoni has mastered both skills brilliantly over the years.
We had Sachin Tendulkar in that World Cup side, who was as hungry as ever to win his maiden World Cup title after chasing his dream for the past 20 years. Apart from Sachin, we had Viru, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, and Yuvraj Singh, who were in the team when India lost the final of the 2003 World Cup. They were there in 2011 with lots of experience and had points to prove that they could bring the Cup home.
Last but not least, the contribution from Yuvraj Singh was immense, considering he was later diagnosed with cancer. Despite vomiting blood in one of the matches, he played the tournament like a soldier, performing with both bat and ball, and won the Player of the Tournament award. And one cannot forget the innings played by Gautam Gambhir in the finals.
To summarize, working in a team is all about putting personal matters aside and leading from the front when the time arises, in addition to possessing good skills.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.
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