The Godfather

He may no longer be the captain, but MS Dhoni’s influence on the Indian team is no less significant.

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India has just lost a wicket. The entire stadium is cheering lustily, with fans clapping, blowing horns, waving the tricolour, displaying banners hailing the hero and the jersey number he has made special over the years, some even rising to their feet. The applause is not for the batsman dismissed, though — it’s for the next man walking in, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. To be sure, the magical applause that the former Indian skipper has been receiving in recent times is an event in itself. It reminds me of a certain Sachin Tendulkar, who evoked a similar frenzy in the stands every time he walked out to bat. As a matter of fact, soon after Dhoni caught the imagination of an entire nation early in his career, he would receive a reception that was next only to Tendulkar.

However, that was Dhoni 1.0 in his prime which, now, is just a beautiful memory. Today, Dhoni is a senior citizen of world cricket, who still takes great pride in wearing the India colours. With age and experience, he has evolved, knows his game much better and also understands his limitations. Yet, while his methods may have changed — from being India’s No 1 hitman to being an accumulator of runs—he still remains an integral, and invaluable, part of Team India. In fact, following the retirement of Tendulkar, he’s the new cricketing sage in the side, with every youngster looking up to him, both for inspiration and guidance. On his part, Dhoni 2.0 is ever ready to draw upon his wealth of experience and offer words of wisdom to all the youngsters, helping them to fine-tune their cricketing skills and settle down in the side. He’s a mentor, a godfather every youngster in the side looks up to. Not being captain hasn’t eroded Dhoni’s authority one bit. In fact, it has only enhanced his stature—from being a great leader to an elder