MS Dhoni, the legendary Indian cricketer, was far from cricket controversies. Earlier, Irfan Pathan made shocking ‘hookah remarks’ against Dhoni; similarly, cricketer Manoj Tiwari also made some serious allegations regarding favouritism in the team, against him. Gujarat Titans spinner Sai Kishore revealed MS Dhoni’s unique approach and how it has a longer impact on players while playing the game.
Kishore has stated that the influence of Dhoni has helped to heal the careers of many, be it playing style or be it game mindset. Despite not playing for two years for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he learned a lot, which became important for his growth. Not only this, the experience at CSK gave him a lot to take and remember, which slowly transformed him into one of the reliable T20 Indian spinners, as of now.
He opened up about the invaluable lessons he learned from the former CSK captain, on how to stay away from distractions and focus on cricket. “I have learnt a lot about this from MS Dhoni. He would never pick up his phone. He used to leave it in his hotel room and come for the games. That’s how detached he would be. This inspired me because I used to ask myself if being involved in social media is needed. So looking at him inspired me,” Kishore shared in an interview with Provoke TV.
Sai Kishore’s rise is what should be surmised as ‘Dhoni Effect’. He was signed by CSK for the base price of 20 lakhs in 2020, but never played in a single match for the franchise. After he was picked by Gujarat Titans for 3 crore, his career took a U-turn.
Since then, Kishore bagged 32 wickets in 25 matches, showing off his bowling versatility during both the powerplay and middle overs. In an era that gives batting an unfair advantage, he has managed around 8.85 as an economy rate and continues to take wickets at regular intervals, thanks to which the GT team caretaker definitely identifies him as an important in their bowling setup.
