Former India skipper MS Dhoni was known for too many reasons – calmness on the field, outstanding ability to hit the ball, tremendous wicketkeeping skills and but of course, inspiring and game-changing leadership attributes.
No wonder the current Indian captain Virat Kohli gets in complete awe whenever he talks about Dhoni and his brilliant game reading capabilities. A few years back, Kohli admitted that he hadn’t seen a better cricketing brain than the Ranchi-born superstar.
“I don’t think I’ve come across a better cricketing brain just in terms of planning; knowing what’s happening in the game and can be done,” Kohli had said in a chat show on YouTube.
Dhoni’s ability to think out of the box has done wonders for Team India. That’s one of the prime reasons he has been the most successful Indian captain in history, having won as many as three ICC titles – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 50-over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Not only with his leadership heroics, but the veteran stumper was also bang on with his prophecies in the game . One of his famous predictions concerning Indian opener Rohit Sharma came true when the Men in Blue faced Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI at Kolkata’s Eden Garden in 2014.
During the match, the Mumbaikar was on song, and Dhoni foretold that if Rohit doesn’t get out, he will certainly go on to get 250.
If Rohit doesn't get out he will certainly get 250 today
— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) November 13, 2014
The words of MSD came true as Rohit crossed the mark of 250 and ended up registering the highest individual score in ODIs after smashing 264 runs from 173 deliveries. He took Lankan bowlers to the cleaners, slamming 33 fours and nine gigantic sixes.
Riding on Rohit’s phenomenal knock, India posted 404/5 on the scoreboard in their allotted 50 overs. In reply, the visiting side got bundled out for just 251 – 13 runs short of Rohit’s individual score.
It was Rohit’s second double century in ODI cricket. His first double ton in the 50-over format came a year before in 2013 against Australia at the same venue. The 34-year-old recorded another double hundred in ODIs in 2017 against Sri Lanka in Mohali.
