MS Dhoni has changed the course of a game from behind the stumps on many ocassions
Ace India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal said he blindly trusted the legendary cricketer and mostly followed the advice that he was given
It has been close to 3 years since Mahendra Singh Dhoni drew curtains on his international career but is still regarded as one of the wisest men on the field. People have seen him changing the course of a game from behind the stumps and who would know it better than the bowlers who once blindly relied on his brilliance?
Yuzvendra Chahal, who has established himself as one of the finest wrist spinners in India, recalls how Dhoni’s instructions helped him attack the opposition right from the word go. In a recent conversation with YouTuber Ranveer Allahabadia, Chahal said he blindly trusted the legendary cricketer and mostly followed the advice that he was given.
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“I blindly trusted him. If he used to tell me something, I used to follow it. Ninety-five per cent, I used to follow what he said and five per cent, I used to tell him about my side. When we used to come on to bowl, it was after the 10th over, he used to know what is happening on the wicket and how the surface is going to play,” Chahal said.
“I got a wicket in that over or the next one. That blind trust is very important. I am also his fan. He made 50 per cent of my life as a bowler easier. Otherwise, you come in and send down a couple of overs judging the pace of the wicket. He used to tell us in advance and we used to start attacking from the first over. It was like Mahi bhai ne bol diya to bol diya.”
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Chahal further said he is a big fan of Dhoni and the former captain is the only person he finds himself tongue-tied in front of.
“He is the only person, Unke saamne aate hai meri bolti bandh ho jaati hai (I am tongue-tied in front of him). I don’t speak a lot irrespective of the kind of mood I am in. I just sit still and reply only if Mahi bhai asks something. Otherwise, I just keep quiet,” he said.
