“I am your fan” is an understatement
While I write poems about your legacy, wish you a happy birthday, distribute chocolates on your birthday, never have I ever expected a reply. It has always been about my wishes to transcend to you, even if in spirit.
Despite all this, the moment I sit down to think about you, words fall short & today is no exception.
On 15th August, you posted an Instagram IGTV. I jumped up with joy that MS finally posted on Instagram. Such a huge smile. And then I read the caption. “From 1929 hrs consider me retired.” Oh boy, did I cry?
It hit hard & it hit home! It was followed by puddles of tears. I mean, how were we even supposed to process that we wouldn’t get to see the man who has managed to carry all our hopes & our dreams (for years, no less!)on his shoulders, anymore on the field.
The name ‘Dhoni’ resounds with leadership, dreams, respect & of course, calm.
All of this is cliché, because over the course of 15 years 7 months and 22 days, along with so many memories to keep with us, you have taught us lessons to live our life by. Someway or another, everyone one of your admirers has thanked you in a thousand different ways.
Hundreds of articles, thousands of memoirs, and just too many wishes from our heart to yours.
While your press conferences managed to make us laugh, your shots around the field made us jump up in our seats and clap loudly. Those superhuman helicopter shots were more than just runs you scored or matches you won, those were the start of a dream for a million people around the world.
But let us, for some time, talk about the dream that evolved to be befitting of the name ‘Mahendra Singh Dhoni’.
Those long locks were more than just a hairstyle, they were a statement. They were iconic just like everything else you did.
Back in 2004, you made your ODI debut versus Bangladesh. Not the start everyone had expected from a player who had clearly made a name for himself in the domestic circuit and in the India A team. The match-winning centuries in the 2003/04 Season of the India A team bagged the attention of Sourav Ganguly & the national selectors.
A few more bad matches followed before you finally made a mark. The patience finally paid off in the 5th ODI, your second against Pakistan when you scored a magnificent 148 of just 123 balls. MS Dhoni was here to stay. Despite so many critics of the game telling that you weren’t made for the long run, you defied them. And then, match after match, you built upon the opportunities, the mistakes, but you didn’t back down, even once.
While the nation knew about the player Mahendra Singh Dhoni, we saw you become the torch-bearer, the unorthodox leader, the captain in 2007. The world was bewildered when you gave the ball to Joginder Sharma in the 2007 T20 Final. Every smart cricketing mind questioned your choice at that moment, but you never heard them, did you? Your faith & gut, proved everyone wrong, as the Boys in Blue brought the T20 World Cup home, without the greats.
The world awakened to the news of a young captain conquer the world and carve his own niche, as he marched forward, making a team that relied on its Captain’s instincts.
The years of 2007 and 2008 proved to be momentous as you took over the reins from Sourav Ganguly in all three formats. These were the years that saw the rise & rise of a legendary captain. You so perfectly embodied the sentiments of all players alike. The young players looked up to you, while the old ones respected you and trusted you to make the right decision. For years to come, you have gone through one hell of a ride. Even through the worst of times, you made sure, India’s name keeps flying high. While we learnt to celebrate the wins, we also learned to accept our losses, with humility. That was new. For the first time, we saw the nation smile even when we lost. You taught us that. You taught us to own up to our mistakes, smile, learn, and move on.
What followed would go down as one of the most successful eras in Indian Cricket. Number 1 rank in test cricket, IPL trophies, personal milestones, and Champions’ trophy. The mention of Mahendra Singh Dhoni brings up the tales of the 2011 World Cup. For India, your six to seal the win is one of the most iconic images in the vast history of Indian sports, not just cricket.
The entire nation came together to thank the Indian team that day. That team was yours, and no matter what, it will always remain that way. That was one of the few times when we saw you resonate the feelings of the nation with your face. An otherwise solemn, poker face, brightened up that day, shed a few tears, laughed some more, and smiled. The hugs shared that day was a blanket of warmth to the nation. The whole country felt it. And it was you & your team that did that. The whole nation rose to the national anthem that day. We felt that pride every single day you served the country.
The Indian Territorial Army conferred the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel to you on 1 November 2011. In 2015, you became a qualified paratrooper after having completed five parachute training jumps from Indian Army aircrafts in the Agra training camp. You made yourself unavailable for the West Indies series (2019) to serve your regiment in Kashmir. Oh, captain! Salute!
In the winter of 2014, you abruptly announced your departure from the world of test cricket. You handed over the team to Virat Kohli and you just moved on. This is another thing you made us learn. Do your job, and then, move on, without ever looking back.
In 2016, you gave up your captaincy and became an even bigger human. Without hesitation, and clashes in the team, you passed on the reins to the youngsters. You paved the way for a stronger squad. You were always about the country first, weren’t you?
While everyone questioned your presence in the team, you simply kept walking. Along the way, you kept doing what you always did best. Your job. Unwavering, and steady, you kept moving along.
Along with all this, the Indian Government and the citizens of the country recognized your efforts and you were conferred with multiple awards to commemorate your contribution to the country. You were the recipient of the 2007 Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, 2009 Padma Shri & 2018 Padma Bhushan.
The World Cup of 2019, we all, somewhere deep down knew that this would be your last and hoped that the Indian team, which was on its A-Game at that time, would bring back home the trophy. But destiny had its own plans, like always. A single bad performance and we were out. That’s the last we saw you in the colors of blue. Even that day, you did all you could to give India its dream. Hearts were shattered that day and every day after that when we wouldn’t see you play for India.
And then, there was the day of August 15th, 2020. You came out of nowhere and announced that our dream to see you in Blues again was never going to be complete. You said “Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon” and everybody knew. It struck us.
We wanted you to have:
One final match,
One final honor,
One final run,
One final Guard of Honor.
But, I know, we would need much more than that to see you depart from the blues. I also know, no farewell would be befitting of the name ‘Mahendra Singh Dhoni’. No tribute would ever be enough to honor the cricketer you have become, the player you evolved into, the captain who guided the stars home, the human of your character. And yet again, our hearts yearn for more. One more of every single thing you did.
You always said: We should live in the moment, not in the past, nor in the future.
Dear Mahi, you were our moment.
And we cannot do anything else but Thank YOU. Nothing will ever suffice the emotions we feel. As you hang up your boots, we bow down, take off our hats, and smile as we see you walk back to the pavilion. You will always be my captain!
