Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has showered praise on MS Dhoni, calling him the “holy grail” of cricket. Despite his advancing age, Dhoni’s popularity remains undiminished, especially in the IPL 2024, where he continues to be a sought-after player.
Gilchrist expressed his admiration for Dhoni’s reserved nature, highlighting that Dhoni has rarely given interviews or engaged with the press, even during his playing days. Speaking on the Club Prairie Fire podcast with former England captain Michael Vaughan, Gilchrist emphasized Dhoni’s unique approach to the game and media.
“Well but the thing about MS. I think he is absolutely the holy grail because he just doesn’t do interviews. And never and haven’t doesn’t done press. Didn’t do it when he was playing. No, just a blanket no,” Gilchrist said.
The 42-year-old Dhoni, known for his calm demeanor and astute captaincy, made a notable impact in CSK’s recent match against Delhi Capitals. Playing his first innings of the season, Dhoni scored a quickfire 37 not out off just 16 balls, showcasing his batting prowess and ability to turn the tide of a match.
MS Dhoni turned back clock
Gilchrist expressed surprise at Dhoni’s impressive batting display, especially considering Dhoni had not batted in CSK’s first two matches of the season. He described Dhoni’s innings as turning back the clock, highlighting the veteran’s ability to perform under pressure and deliver when it matters most.
“And what about the other day, no one was really sure what he’s got left in the tank and didn’t bat in the first couple of games. All being in a losing cause pulled the trigger. Turned the clock back,” he said.
Vaughan, responding to Gilchrist’s praise, remarked on Dhoni’s unique status in world sport. Despite being on the losing side against Delhi Capitals, Dhoni’s innings garnered significant attention, overshadowing the performance of the winning team’s captain, Rishabh Pant. Vaughan noted that Dhoni’s presence on the field draws immense interest from fans, with many speculating that this could be Dhoni’s last year playing cricket.
Michael Vaughan said
“37 off 16, there’s only I reckon maybe only one sportsperson in the globe that’s team could lose and on the opposition was a young fella called Rishabh Pant who has made a remarkable comeback and it’s great to see him playing. But to see him playing so well and see him play the way he did and his team was the winning side and he was the captain yet all the talk was about MS’s 37 off 16 balls.
That is how powerful and gotta remember Delhi Capitals. It was played at Vizag and that was their home game and the whole ground was yellow. It’s a little bit like in the Premier League. At the minute I think it’s 10 games to go and all the Liverpool fans want to see Jürgen Klopp. So every single game is huge because they wanna see Klopp. And you get a sense over here that every single game the grounds jam packed in yellow because they are just thinking and it might not because he’s not announced it. They are just thinking this could be Dhoni’s last year playing cricket and they wanna make sure they get a glimpse of it,” Vaughan added.
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