Ebook Dhoni

Dhoni:
The rise and the fall

Copyright 2012 Firstpost
Table of contents
Brickbats and tricky wickets
We are like that only: The problem with Dhonis approach 04
Dhoni complains to BCCI about Gambhirs selfsh attitude 06
The Al Pacino speech Dhoni must give his locker-room 07
India vs Eng: #PossibleDhoniExcuses is now trending on Twitter 09
Angry Dhoni hits out at cricket commentators 11
Dhoni ignores the spirit of cricket 12
Should Dhoni step down?
Dhoni, the captain, has run out of steam 14
Three selectors wanted Dhoni gone. So why is he still here? 16
Dhoni should not lead India in every format: Ganguly 18
Former players criticise Indias poor show, call for changes 20
Why does everyone want Dhoni out of his job? 21
It wasnt always like this....
Dhoni is better than Bevan. He is the BEST fnisher in the game 23
Dhonis calm shade of grey and he loves to wear it 25
Dhoni and Indias other small-town angels 27
Dhoni, grow your hair again be yourself again 29
Brand Dhoni has a life after cricket
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the world he is creating 32
For Dhoni, if its not about cricket, its about bikes 34
Dhoni to launch his personal line of fragrances 36
Dhoni to venture into ftness biz, will set up 200 gyms 37
Drogba doesnt know Sachin but hes heard of Dhoni 38
Brickbats and tricky wickets
We are like that only:
The problem with Dhonis approach
Dhoni seems to be unwilling to concede that anything
needs to change. Despite a pitch that was crumbling
from the frst day, he said after the match that it was
a very good wicket and that defnitely all the
wickets should be like this.
Tariq Engineer, Nov 26, 2012
E
nglands comprehensive win over India
in the second Test exposed the fatal faw
in MS Dhonis strategy: the lack of a
Plan B. Once Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen
began to get on top of Indias spinners, Dhoni
had nowhere to turn. The lack of a Plan B also
raises another question; has Dhoni run out of
ideas in Test cricket?
From the start of the series, Indias captain has
been singing the same note. Yes, spin is Indias
strength and yes, England have a weakness
against spin but stacking the deck so far in one
direction means Dhoni leaves himself with no
alternatives. Either the strategy works or India
are in trouble, which proved to be the case in
Mumbai.
Mohammad Azharuddin made playing three
spinners a virtue in the 1990s. But not only have
Indias ambitions changed, the rest of the crick-
eting world has more experience playing in the
sub-continent thanks to the IPL and a growing
number of coaching camps being held in the
country. Cook himself has been the benefciary
of such camps, coming here as a youngster to
learn how to play in these conditions.
Yet Dhoni seems to be unwilling to concede that
anything needs to change. Despite a pitch that
was crumbling from the frst day, he said after
the match that it was a very good wicket and
that defnitely all the wickets should be like
this. He also appears reluctant to tamper with
the make-up of the side, saying you dont chop
and change players on the basis of one of two
Test matches. You have to give them a fair run.
All of which suggests that Dhoni has decided
there is only one way for India to play and is
reminiscent of his repeated comments when
India was losing to England and Australia. Es-
sentially, India are what they are and there is no
point in trying to change things because it wont
do any good. India will struggle against pace
and seam abroad and India can only win series
at home if they prepare rank turners. If the op-
position outplays them and the strategy fails, so
be it. In effect, Dhoni doesnt seem to care that
it is his job as captain do something about it.
The problem with such an approach is that the
team will never get better and will never de-
velop the ability to adapt to different conditions.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Gautam Gambhir were
the only India batsman who showed the ap-
plication necessary to survive at the Wankhede
Stadium. In the second innings, only Gambhir
faced more than 20 deliveries. That the spinners
were out-bowled by their England counterparts
is an even greater indictment of the side.
Dhonis reaction was to blame the conditions.
Some conditions suit them really well and
some do not, he said by way of explanation of
why Monty Panesar was so successful, which is
ironic considering he picked those conditions.
Dhoni only has to look into the England dress-
ing room to see how teams adapt their strate-
gies. England were criticized for not playing
Panesar and getting the balance of their side
wrong. Used to playing three seamers, they
abandoned what has worked for them over the
last few years and Panesar rewarded them with
the best fgures for an England spinner in the
subcontinent for 80 years.
India has eight days to refect before the teams
meet at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Dhoni
would do well to heed the same lessons that
England did in that time.
Dhoni complains to BCCI
about Gambhirs selfish attitude
But a source close to Gambhir hit back, saying that
Dhoni is just passing the blame on others and feels his
position as captain is under threat from Gambhir.
FP Sports, Dec 12, 2012
I
t seems that the dismal performance
against England has led to huge cracks in
Team India.
After news of how selectors wanted MS Dhoni
out as captain a year back, it has now emerged
that Dhoni has also made a complaint to the
BCCI over Gambhirs selfsh attitude.
A report on CricketNext quotes an unnamed
member of the Indian team as saying: Of late
Gambhir has gone into a shell and focusing on
just to save his place in the team. But what irked
Dhoni was Gambhir playing for himself and not
for the team. What possibly could be the reason
behind taking singles off the frst or second ball
of an over and exposing the tailenders to Grae-
me Swann and Monty Panesar (in Mumbai) on
a rank turner?
Every run was crucial but Gambhir chose to be
a mute spectator. The whole world saw that and
everyone was taken aback. If Ashwin can do,
why couldnt Gambhir?
The source says that what added to Dhonis
frustration with Gambhir were the two run-outs
he was involved in. Gambhir was at the other
end when Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar
Pujara were run-out after some miss-communi-
cation.
On both occasions, Gambhir was at fault.
Dhoni doesnt have doubts about his integrity
or commitment. Gambhir, obviously, didnt do
anything deliberately. Its just that in his strug-
gle to overcome poor form, he is overlooking
teams interest and remains oblivious of team
goals. This has not gone down well with Dhoni,
who is determined to win the Nagpur Test and
level the series, and he conveyed his thoughts to
the BCCI offcials in no uncertain terms.
The source was also quoted as saying that
someone from the BCCI will speak to Gambhir
about this episode: One of the BCCI offcials
will speak to Gambhir before the match and the
matter will be sorted out.
But a source close to Gambhir hit back, saying
that Dhoni is just passing the blame on oth-
ers: Dhonis captaincy is under fre. Hes being
censured by one and all. His place in the Test
team is questioned, so hes trying to pass the
buck and blame others whether his batsmen,
spinners, Sehwag and now Gambhir to save
his face. He sees Gambhir as a potential threat
to his captaincy and wants to undermine him.
India have not lost a series to England in 28
years and would like to keep it that way, but if
things within the camp are so bad, then one can
expect that run come to an end.
To read the full Cricket Next report, CLICK
HERE.
The Al Pacino speech
Dhoni must give his locker-room
It is time he put aside his Captain Cool persona
and made an emotional appeal to the squad.
Tariq Engineer, Dec 12, 2012
I
ndia head to Nagpur for the fourth and
fnal Test in disarray. Home advantage
failed them in Mumbai and they were
comprehensively outplayed on a good wicket in
Kolkata. England have all the momentum and
India are now in serious danger of losing their
frst home series in eight years and their frst
home series to England in 28 years. They have
also lost Umesh Yadav to injury and the selec-
tors have dropped Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan
Singh, so the bowling attack will be at its most
inexperienced in years. Coupled with the capitu-
lation in Kolkata, this team needs to have a fre
lit underneath it and the man to do that is still
MS Dhoni.
It is time he put aside his Captain Cool perso-
na and made an emotional appeal to the squad.
Heres the speech we think he should give on
the eve of the Test.
Boys,
You know me. I like to keep an even keel. I like
to stay on top of my emotions. I try to treat win-
ning and losing the same way. That allows me
to make decisions in the moment and not worry
about consequences. But that doesnt mean I
dont care about winning and losing. Losing
hurts. It always has. If you are a professional
sportsman and losing doesnt hurt, then some-
thing is wrong.
Right now, all of us should be hurting. If any of
you are not, then you can get up and leave the
dressing room. If any of you dont believe we
can come back and win in Nagpur, then you can
get up and leave the dressing room.
Maybe we took beating England a little bit for
granted after Ahmedabad. Thats on me. But
now we are in a corner and there is only one
way out of it and that is to fght. To fght for eve-
ry run, for every wicket. We have to back our-
selves and each other. We have to come off that
feld at the end of fve days knowing we gave
everything. That we fought every ball, every ses-
sion, every day. That we fought as a team.
This Test is not about which team has more
ability. You guys have plenty of ability. Dont
listen to what the media says. They have to sell
newspapers. And sometimes teams get out-
played. That is the nature of sport. What is not
acceptable is being soft. What is not acceptable
is simply accepting this situation and pretend-
ing it is business as usual. What this Test is
going to come down to is, will. Desire. Hunger.
Belief. It is about wanting it more than England
It is about wanting to go out there and make
England hurt the way we are hurting now.
Yes, we are a team in transition. Any side is
going to miss players like Dravid and Laxman.
But we should use them as inspiration now. If
those two were here in this room, they would
want to make England suffer. They would want
to pay them back for the pain of losing in Mum-
bai and Kolkata. They would put a price on their
wickets. And they would be ready, mentally and
physically, for the challenge. Thats the legacy
we have to live up to. Thats the standard we
have to maintain.
Is that fair? Perhaps not. But life is not about
fair. Life is about meeting whatever challenges
come your way head on. So when we go out
there tomorrow, we have to go out there united.
There are no short-cuts now. We do this as a
team. We do this knowing the guy standing next
to us wants to win as badly as we do; that he is
willing to sacrifce and push himself because he
knows you will do the same. We do this because
otherwise this team dies. Thats the choice liv-
ing or dying.
No England team has won in India for 28 years.
I dont plan on being the captain that loses that
record. I look around and I know you dont want
to be the team that loses that record. So lets go
out on the feld and prove it to the world.
India vs Eng:
#PossibleDhoniExcuses
is now trending on Twitter
FP Staff, Dec 9, 2012
I
ndia suffered another humiliating loss
to England in the ongoing test series to-
day. England beat India at Eden Gardens,
Kolkata by seven wickets to win the third test in
the series and have now taken a 2-1 lead.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has come
out and blamed the batsmen for the debacle.
After the match today he said, We need to give
bowlers a few more runs. We havent scored
consistently over 300. On this wicket we should
have scored 450 or above. The batsmen who got
starts didnt make it matter.
But while Dhoni is busy blaming batsmen, the
hash tag #PossibleDhoniExcuses is already
trending on Twitter.
We take a look at some of the funniest tweets
from Twitter on the list of possible Dhoni ex-
cuses for this defeat:
Angry Dhoni hits out at
cricket commentators
Dhoni said that in Indian cricket, the people who
praise you are the same who run you down when
things are going bad. He also said that he didnt
have a platform like TV or a column.
IANS, Dec 4, 2012
I
ndian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who
has been criticised by some former Indian
cricketers about his demand for rank turn-
ers, Tuesday took a dig at his critics saying he
was not bothered.
I dont have a platform like them. I am not on
TV assessing neither do I write columns, said
Dhoni when asked to comment about former
players criticising him.
Criticism is a big part and parcel of the game,
especially in Indian cricket. You get a lot of
support when you perform well. But the same
people run you down when you do not do well,
he said.
I am not bothered by what is being said,
added Dhoni.
On if he was under pressure as captain, Dhoni
said he preferred walking the middle path and
not getting swayed either by adulation or criti-
cism.
It goes either ways. Leading the side for the
last three or four years you get in a situation to
handle pressure. The good thing is you see both
sides of the coin. With every game emotions
fow.
When team does well, you get appreciated and
should also take criticism when you dont do
well. The important thing is you learn to walk
the middle path, added Dhoni.
Dhoni ignores
the spirit of cricket
Former ICC umpire Daryla Harper has hit out at
MS Dhoni, saying the India captain has a history of
disrespecting the spirit of the game
FP Sports, Nov 27, 2012
D
aryl Harper, the former ICC umpire,
has called MS Dhoni a repeat offend-
er against the spirit of cricket and said
the Indian captain was above the game. His
comments follow Dhonis decision not to recall
England middle-order batsman Jonny Bairstow,
who was controversially given out caught at silly
mid-off in the second Test in Mumbai.
Gautam Gambhir took a sharp catch off a lead-
ing edge from Bairstow but there was some
doubt about whether the ball touched the hel-
met grille before Gambhir was able to complete
the catch. Under the rules of the game, a bats-
man cannot be given out if the ball strikes the
felders helmet.
It is a clear breach of the laws of cricket, and
any national captain worth his weight in salt
or any other condiment would have im-
mediately withdrawn the appeal and allowed
Bairstow to continue his innings, Harper told
Sports360.
But this captain is a repeat offender when it
comes to ignoring the spirit of cricket, he said.
Harper listed a number of instances in which
he believed Dhonis behaviour had violated the
spirit of the game, including after the frst Test
when Dhoni said India had been forced to take
more than 10 wickets in the second innings and
when he made similar comments in Jamaica in
2011.
However, the most glaring example, according
to Harper, was the dismissal of Ian Bell during
Indias tour of England in 2011. Though Bell
was eventually recalled, Harper said that deci-
sion was taken despite Dhonis objections. He
claimed the umpires asked Dhoni three times to
withdraw his appeal but Dhoni refused and that
it took a team meeting and a player vote that
overturned Dhonis decision before Bell could
be recalled. That attitude, according to Harper,
suggests Dhoni believes himself to be above the
game.
Harper was a Test umpire from 1998 to 2011.
He was a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Um-
pires from 2002 until 2011. He retired follow-
ing complaints from India about the quality of
his umpiring in the frst Test against the West
Indies in Jamaica last year. Subsequently Dave
Richardson, then the ICC Cricket manager, said
Harper had received unfair criticism for his
performance in that match.
Should Dhoni step down?
Dhoni, the captain,
has run out of steam
The 4-0 Test defeats in England and Australia took him
to the brink and then the retirements of Rahul Dravid
and VVS Laxman dealt the knockout blows. Its almost
as if overnight, the world changed.
Ashish Magotra, Dec 7, 2012
W
e should be talking cricket here. But
for a moment, lets take a walk in the
boxing ring and talk about the sweet
science instead.
Through the history of the sport, there have
always been boxers who had it all the perfect
jab, the powerful straight, the brutal uppercut,
the quick feet, the strong legs, the brains. They
were good, so good that many of them werent
beaten for years. But then one punch some-
times from a no name opponent would get
through their defence and hit them squarely on
the chin.
They would get knocked out. Suddenly, their
world would turn dark.
Some boxers refer to it as time lost. It could 10
seconds or 20; it could even be 10 minutes. You
just dont know. When you come around, all you
see are the fashing lights of ringside doctors
peering into his eyes.
The knockout does two things: it makes you
aware of your mortality and your weakness. And
it changes the way you fght you worry about
your defence, you lose your attacking instinct,
you think about losing, you think about your
reputation. Thats what a knockout can do.
And right now, thats what Dhoni must be
feeling. Hes been knocked out. In many ways,
Dhoni has had a privileged time with the India
when he came into the team in 2005, India
were on the upward curve. They had the right
men in place and the 2007 World Cup defeat
was in the eyes of many simply an aberration.
His captaincy was even better the 2007 World
T20 title gave him clout, the rise to world no
1 in the Test rankings made him a great and
the 2011 World Cup title made him a legend.
Through this all, he never got knocked out.
Yes, there was the odd defeat but there was no
knockout. There was no lying on your back and
staring at the lights.
But the 4-0 Test defeats in England and Aus-
tralia took him to the brink and then the retire-
ments of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman dealt
the knockout blows. Its almost as if overnight,
the world changed.
In this world, Australia lose at home; England
can play spin; South Africa dont choke and Ma-
hendra Singh Dhoni loses.
Of course, someone might turn around and say
that Dhoni got a ffty today and helped India
past the 300 mark. But this isnt about him as a
batsman or a wicket-keeper. This is about him
as a captain; as a leader of men.
There are certain things that a captain brings
to a side and intensity is just one of them. So
when one sees the bowlers just running in and
bowling with any real intensity, who should be
blamed? When one sees the feld being spread
out as early as the 10th over in the innings, who
should be blamed? When Pragyan Ojha, your
best bowler in the series, isnt brought into the
attack till the 25th over, who should be blamed?
It might be easy to say Indias bowlers are bad,
the batting is fragile but in reality it all starts at
the top. When the captain looks disinterested,
the rest simply go their own way. He might
bemoan his lack of options but this is the same
skipper who didnt think twice about employ-
ing an 8-1 feld against Australia at Nagpur with
the series on the line. Where has that sense of
adventurism gone? Is he still worried about the
punch that will come in from the blind side and
knock him out?
The Indian team wants to win this series make
no mistake about that. They want to win this
badly but right now they are just a bunch of
lone wolves trying to do their own thing. There
is no strength because they just arent hunting
together. In many ways, its like the Indian team
from the 90s the odd good performance inter-
spersed with plenty of failures in between.
Dhoni has never been a great Test skipper but
he has always been very good in ODIs and T20s.
But previously, he didnt really need to go up to
the players and tell them what to do. His skills
as a captain simply werent tested. Now, that
they are, hes coming up short.
A great American coach Vince Lombardi once
said, The real glory is being knocked to your
knees and then coming back. Thats real glory.
But it doesnt seem like Dhoni is interested in
glory. He is interested in winning easy, he is
also interested in the pitch. The interest in cap-
taincy though, seems to be slipping away. Its
just an added responsibility, you see. Its not
what he wants, remember: If there is a better
replacement, he can come in.
So its about time, the Indian selectors take a
leap of faith. For how long can they hide behind
the theres no one else excuse. Honestly, given
Indias performances in the recent past, its
hard to imagine Gautam Gambhir or Virat Kohli
do any worse.
Every captain has a shelf life and whether we
like it or not, Dhoni has reached the end of his.
Three selectors wanted Dhoni gone.
So why is he still here?
Perhaps the philosophical answer is that this is
how Indian cricket is run and this is how it
has always been run.
FP Editors, Dec 12, 2012
F
ormer selector Mohinder Amarnath has
come out and said the Indian selectors
were actually thinking of sacking Mahen-
dra Singh Dhoni just after the 4-0 humiliating
loss in Australia.
In a tell-all interview to TIMES NOW, Amar-
nath said, Defnitely, there were discussions
to replace Dhoni and people had even agreed
to do so, but for some internal reason it didnt
happen. I would not like to divulge what the
reasons were.
Now, Amarnath may not have wanted to divulge
the reasons but the Indian Express went ahead
and spoke to one of the selectors Raja Venkat
about what actually happened.
Amarnath (North Zone), Narendra Hirwani
(Central Zone) and Raja Venkat (East Zone)
were in favour of removing Dhoni as Test skip-
per. But the move came a cropper when BCCI
secretary Sanjay Jagdale consulted BCCI presi-
dent N Srinivasan over the issue.
Sanjay Jagdale, the BCCI secretary and con-
vener of the national selection committee, con-
sulted BCCI president N Srinivasan who shot
down the proposal. Srinivasan made it clear
that though the majority of selectors felt that
Dhoni didnt inspire confdence as Test skipper,
the time was not right to remove him, Venkat
told Indian Express.
Now, the constitution doesnt state whether
the president can or cannot intervene. It does,
however, state that the selectors need to inform
the Board president of their decision. Whether
the president then agrees or disagrees with their
fndings is upto him.
But there have been earlier instances of Board
presidents interfering with the selection proc-
ess. So this isnt exactly new.
In 1992-93, Mohammad Azharuddin was on the
verge of losing the captaincy, and quite possi-
bly his place in the side, after disastrous tours
to Australia and South Africa saw him start
his captaincy with one win and seven losses.
By popular opinion, Kapil Dev was supposed
to take over. But then Ajit Wadekar made an
impassioned plea to Madhavrao Scindia, who
intervened.
The Jagmohan Dalmiya camp are also believed
to have solidly stood behind Sourav Ganguly on
all occasions.
Then again, as recently as 2005, Sharad Pawar
did his best to rehabilitate Sourav Ganguly after
he was axed from the team in December.
Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, told the
Times of India, As a cricket lover, I am hurt
and shocked over the exclusion of Ganguly. In
the Delhi Test his performance was satisfactory.
Also, he was a victorious captain and we feel
proud of him.
Pawar let it be known that it is my prerogative
to sit with the selectors in the next two or three
days to understand what actually happened.
As things turned out, by January 2006, Ganguly
was back in the team and he stayed there till
2008.
So when we ask why Dhoni is still here then
perhaps the philosophical answer is that this is
how Indian cricket is run and this is how it has
always been run.
The appointment of professional selectors was
supposed to change this. But instead, they seem
more bothered about getting money in the bank,
rather than truly earning it.
Amarnath and Venkats disclosures show that
Indian cricket continues to be run by the ad-
ministrators but if they were truly serious about
wanting to change things, they need not have
waited till now. They should have come out in
the open and said what they really wanted to
when it mattered.
Why have they suddenly decided to come out
with a disclosure now? Why dont they tell us
why RP Singh was picked for the England tour
despite being clearly unft? Is there another
agenda that they are pushing? If the selectors
had not had the discussion regarding Dhoni
then that would have proved that there was
something really wrong with the system.
At some level, you would want the president,
the chief selector and the captain to be on the
same page but when the partnership starts
clouding your judgement, it spells big trouble.
Dhoni should not lead India
in every format: Ganguly
Sit with Dhoni and ask him what form of cricket
he wants to captain. He has done a lot of good things
for Indian cricket, but at the present moment,
I am just fearing that we will lose him as a player
if he continues like this, Ganguly said with
a note of caution.
PTI, Dec 10, 2012
N
ew Delhi: Former skipper Sourav Gan-
guly today endorsed the idea of split
captaincy and said Mahendra Singh
Dhoni should not be leading the Indian cricket
team in all formats.
I am not saying just ship him off all the for-
mats of the game because India are going into
a transition phase and build a new team. Sit
with Dhoni and ask him what form of cricket
he wants to captain. He has done a lot of good
things for Indian cricket, but at the present mo-
ment, I am just fearing that we will lose him as
a player if he continues like this, Ganguly said
with a note of caution.
Despite having lost six out of the last seven
Tests against England, Ganguly chose not to be
too harsh on Dhoni. Keeping is never easy and
when you have a bowling attack like ours, which
has not performed over a period of time. You
keep for hours and then you captain the side
and you come out and bat at no 7.
So its never easy for for Dhoni and Im a frm
believer that his job has to be split and he needs
a reprieve in some format, Ganguly told Head-
lines Today. Talking on Sachin Tendulkars
form, the former India skipper said, Sachin
desperately needs to get runs. He has achieved a
lot. He is getting a long rope because of what he
has achieved. He should know himself that how
he needs to turn it around.
As somebody watching it from outside Ten-
dulkar not performing, I think if I was Ten-
dulkar I would go. But its upto him at the
present moment. We want to see the great man
going with a bat held high and not in terrible
form.
Coming back to Dhoni, he said, You do not ex-
pect selectors to come out and say we have put
Dhoni on notice. You cant say this in public, its
not fair. I dont think that will ever happen with
the BCCI.
I dont know what the real story is. Whether
Dhoni has been put on notice or whether the
selectors have spoken to him or not, is immate-
rial. Half the players dont get to know it. If you
are trying to build a new team, the message has
to be consistent. I agree that Dhoni needs to be
looked after and needs to be spoken to.
As discussion turned to Zaheer Khans omis-
sion, he said, The Indian team is going through
a rebuilding phase, you have to have plan. My
point is that the plan has to be uniform for eve-
ryone.
Another former captain, Kapil Dev felt there
was no suitable replacement for Dhoni.
Do we have another player to captain at this
stage? I dont see anybody. If Virat Kohli starts
getting runs I can understand, but he is also not
getting runs. I dont think anybody is ready. I
dont think sacking anybody in the middle of the
series is right. He is under pressure, the selec-
tors have to sit and talk to him. He has to speak
to himself that look I have to perform well.
Kapil said the board should disclose its plan for
the teams future.
They shouldnt do what they used to do in
80s. You lost a series, a new captain comes out.
Again a series is lost and a new captain comes
in. I think that is sad. What we would want is
that selectors and the board tells us what is their
plan dont hide. People are very concerned,
lets not have rumours. They should come out
straight. Rumours are not good for the country
and for the team.
Former players criticise Indias
poor show, call for changes
PTI, Dec 9, 2012
N
ew Delhi: Indias meek surrender in
two consecutive Tests against England
on home turf was lambasted by former
players, who felt it was high time the selectors
made players accountable for their shambolic
performance.
India lost by seven wickets in the third Test
in Kolkata to concede an unassailable 2-1 se-
ries lead to England, who had earlier mauled
the hosts by 10 wickets in the second match in
Mumbai.
England were well-prepared while India were
over-confdent. The Indian preparation for this
important series was diabolical, said former
captain and ex-chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar.
When we went to England we played one
warm-up game before plunging into the Test
series. The same happened when we went to
Australia. By contrast Englands preparations
were very good. I hope the selectors show vision
and courage of conviction. At least a couple of
changes are expected straightaway, he said.
Another former chief selector Kris Srikkanth di-
rected his ire towards skipper Mahendra Singh
Dhoni, calling him confused.
Defnitely Dhoni is confused. He does not know
what to do and when things go out of control he
just lets them drift away, he said.
Kiran More, also a former selector, said some
changes should be made to the side ahead of the
fourth Test starting on Thursday in Nagpur.
We were outplayed in all departments and if
you dont score 450 plus in the frst innings on a
track that was provided, you are already on the
backfoot. At this point of time you cannot have
wholesale changes, may be one or two changes
for the next Test match.
Former batsman Kirti Azad ridiculed the teams
performance and praised the Englishmen for
adapting to the
conditions.
It is not just the batsmen, it is the entire team.
I fail to understand that our spinners were
struggling to take wickets but look at the spin-
ners of the England team. They have bowled to
a very good line. They are not trying anything
because the wicket is helpful.
They have managed to put batsmen under a
lot of pressure and you could see that even the
god of cricket struggled to get into form. I have
heard Niranjan Shah say that this team can do
wonders. Sure it can but only in the dressing
room I suppose, he said.
Azad said the team lacks consistent performers.
I think we have the best team on paper. I hope
we are not reduced to paper tigers. We have
some great players in the side but it seems they
are supporting each other rather than trying to
support and make a good Indian team.
We have good players who can perform well
but then your greatness is known by your con-
sistency, if you dont have consistency than you
old records will not help you, he said.
Forner captain Mohammed Azharuddin said,It
was a disappointing performance and it was
time for youngsters to get a chance.
Why does everyone want
Dhoni out of his job?
Veteran cricket writer Ayaz Memon also believes
that change is in order but not because Dhoni is
doing a bad job.
FP Sports, Oct 13, 2012
I
t didnt happen after England. It didnt
happen even after Australia. But suddenly
after Indias exit from the World T20, eve-
rybody wanted Dhoni out of his job.
It didnt quite make sense. The Twenty20 for-
mat is a lottery all the players know that and
Indias record in the tournament wasnt all that
bad. In fact, India managed to win 4 out of 5
matches in the tournament.
Veteran cricket writer Ayaz Memon also be-
lieves that change is in order but not because
Dhoni is doing a bad job.
I think the workload on him is very heavy. The
pressures of captaining India in three different
formats are immense and I am talking not just
about the physical workload but also the mental
aspect, said Ayaz. The formats are not very
different but the tactical aspects of each format
are very different and so the pressures on the
captain are different as well.
I think he needs to be relieved of one of those
formats and I would say the T20. Not Test
match cricket; not even ODI cricket.
So in essence, Dhoni needs to follow the lead of
Mahela Jayawardene, the Sri Lankan skipper
who gave up T20 captainship after the World
T20 fnal because he wanted the team to look
forward.
That is precisely what Dhoni needs to do and
I believe the youngster to take over from him is
Virat Kohli. Then the BCCI can build a young
team for the next World T20. Either Dhoni
takes the decision himself or somebody will
have to take it for him. He may still remain part
of the team but he is not carrying the burden of
captaincy.
The selectors also need to sit him down and ask
him what he really wants for ODIs and Tests.
They need to tell him Boss, tell us what team
you want and then you deliver. We dont want
that excuse later that I wanted this team but I
didnt have him and so we lost. All that non-
sense has to stop.
And just as we speak about having different
teams and captains for different formats, is it
time for India to have different coaches for dif-
ferent formats too?
The T20 format is something that Duncan
Fletcher would not have thought it was possible
at all till it eventually happened. Its very much
a young cricketers format and having a much
younger coach take over is not a bad idea at all.
In fact, it might even be a way to help mentor a
new coach for the Indian team as well. And also
because I see a lot more T20s being played in
the future, even if it is at the expense of ODIs.
Watch Video:
It wasnt always like this....
Dhoni is better than Bevan.
He is the BEST finisher in the game
Statistics put Dhonis fnishing percentage even
higher than that of Michael Bevan. Needless to say,
no other Indian even gets close.
Ashish Magotra, Oct 21, 2011
W
atching Mahendra Singh Dhoni bat
in a chase is a learning experience
the way he builds an innings; the way
he calms the nerves of the other batsmen; the
way he makes them contribute; the way he gives
the opposition no chance at all.
What the Indian skipper brings to the middle
isnt quantifable. Its simply magic. As he led
India to another win in the third ODI against
England at Mohali, none of us were surprised.
We had seen him do it so many times before,
that only if he fails would we question his
method. The template of his innings is normally
a slow start as he settles in, lots of singles and
then he builds to a crescendo. The innings he
played in the World Cup fnal was exactly that
it wasnt a fuke; its the way he plays.
There are images of Mahendra Singh Dhoni
that are stuck in our heads most of them have
him holding the bat, hitting the winnings runs.
It isnt a sheer coincidence that he is there so
many times at the end, guiding India to victory
with a twirl of the bat, a smile on his face and
the helicopter shot thrown in for good effect.
The science of chasing tactics is something that
Dhoni is privy to alone because only he knows
what goes on in his head. But the numbers are
there for all to see and they are simply astound-
ing.
Fathom this. In ODIs, Dhoni has played 194
matches. Of those matches, hes not had to bat
in 21 games, so that gives him a total of 173 in-
nings. Now, hes been not out 46 times in these
matches. Now, here comes the clincher: Of the
46 times that he has been not out; India has lost
just three matches. Just three
That gives India a winning percentage of 93.5
per cent when Dhoni is at the wicket. For some-
one who has been playing ODIs since 2004, that
is a frightening statistic. It also shows that he is
the best fnisher in ODI cricket at present, per-
haps even the best the world has ever seen.
To most of us who have a keen interest in the
game, the best fnisher of the game was a cer-
tain, Michael Bevan. The Australian was simply
superb. He had a keen sense of occasion, knew
how to pace his innings and more often than
not, he helped Australia to victory.
But not even Bevan was as potent as Dhoni is.
The Australian played a total of 232 ODIs for
Australia and was not out 67 times in 196 in-
nings. But Australia lost 13 matches even when
Bevan was around in the end. That gives Bevan
a fnishing percentage of 80.6.
The difference is big. Perhaps one of the reasons
for the difference is the strike-rate. While Dho-
nis strike-rate is 88.34, Bevan was positively
slow in comparison with an SR of 74.16.
And come the big match, Dhoni seems to fnd
his best form too. In 11 fnals, he has an average
of 49.77. Cometh the moment, cometh the man.
He just cant be denied and perhaps because
hes done it so many times before, it just seems
like another day at the offce to him.
For a long time, Indias problems in ODIs used
to stem from their inability to fnish things off.
We would invariably start well but then stall at
crucial moments. For a while, Ajay Jadeja flled
the slot. Then there was Robin Singh. Even Ra-
hul Dravid had a go but nobody was as good as
Dhoni. No one even came close.
If one were asked to explain Indias recent suc-
cess in ODIs in one word, all clues would simply
point to Dhoni. As long as hes around, India
has hope. And if he stays in long enough, India
will win. So far, thats the way its been.
If England wants to win even one match in the
series, they will have to get Dhoni out. Or else
they might as well be up a creek without a pad-
dle because they are fghting against the tide
and you can rarely ever fght nature and come
out triumphant.
Dhonis calm shade of grey
and he loves to wear it
The Indian skippers calm has become an aspect of
his persona that his teammates respect and his
opponents have learned to fear.
Ashish Magotra, Jul 20, 2011
J
ust before the start of the World Cup,
India were having a short training camp
in Bangalore and one of the days was set
aside for the teams interaction with the media.
It was a pretty hectic day questions were be-
ing thrown at Mahendra Singh Dhoni, some
tough, others pretty boring. But through it all,
he rarely ever broke a sweat. In fact, he even
found time to sit among the media and ask
Virender Sehwag a few tough questions. That
elicited a few laughs from the journalists who
had gathered there, but mostly they were all in
awe.
As he exited the room, he was chased by auto-
graph hunters. Not for a moment did he pause,
he continued walking towards the elevator at a
steady pace, signing as many autographs as he
could. Then, as he waited for the elevator, more
questions were thrown at him. A few sounded
like statements though, It must be great be-
ing captain of India, you get so much fame and
money.
At this, Dhoni paused. He looked at the man
and with a big grin said, You forgot about the
grey hair.
And we thought that would have escaped his
notice. But hes almost like the Phantom in that
respect: he has eyes at the back of his head. He
doesnt forget anything. Not the hours spent in
hotels; not the critics; not the wins and certain-
ly, not the losses.
They say captaining India is one of the most
stressful jobs in the world. And even though
Dhoni doesnt show it, one look at the rapidly
greying hair and you know he feels every little
thing that happens on the pitch. He probably
agonises over some of the decisions (like the
draw in West Indies for example), but he hardly
ever shows it.
What would Sourav Ganguly have done if Ku-
mar Sangakkara had pulled the controversial
toss stunt on him before the World cup fnal?
Well, for starters he would have thrown a
tantrum. Then, the news would have fltered
through to the Bengali media and they too
would have thrown a tantrum. Then fnally, the
news would flter down to the crowd and they
would have thrown a few bottles on the ground.
And that would be that.
Dhoni, in contrast, calmly asked for a re-toss
and when he had the chance to bat, produced
an innings so special that no captain will ever
try tricking the Indian skipper again. A tantrum
wouldnt be his style. He isnt an impulsive man
he likes to plan things out and loves nothing
more than to see the turn of events follow that
path.
He (Dhoni) leads from the front, is a very
dangerous cricketer and is possibly the most
charismatic player India have ever had, with the
sway he holds in that country now, Swann was
quoted, as saying by The Daily Express. If we
can get at anyone, he is probably the key man.
England have, on their part, launched a verbal
attack on India. It began with DRS, but even
now, just a day before the Lords Test, the men-
tal battle is on in full swing. In Gangulys era, a
war of words would have ensued, Rahul Dravid
would have grimaced and shrugged it off, Anil
Kumble would have been philosophical about
it Dhoni has just maintained an almost stoic
silence.
Its almost like you know him, but you dont.
And thats the quality that puts the opposition,
in this case England, at unease. You never quite
know what hes thinking. If there was one crick-
eter who could survive in Indian politics today,
it would probably be Dhoni and even that would
boil down to his calm.
Unruffed and unbeaten in his stint as captain,
Dhonis calm has become an aspect of his per-
sona that his teammates respect and his oppo-
nents have learned to fear. Silence, at least, in
the Indian skipper case hardly every goes un-
noticed.
Dhoni and Indias other
small-town angels
Across India there were only a few Dravids or
Sachins or Dhonis but there were hundreds, maybe
thousands, of youngsters who aspire to make
a name of their own.
Tom Alter, Oct 7, 2011
I
n Dehradun, at a very good friends place,
his friends come over for tea one of them
still very lean and ft, about my age we
begin talking; Dehradun and Mussoorie mid-
70s then cricket. He used to play for Sham-
rock Club, the leading club of Dun in those days.
Suddenly, we disappear 35 years back in time
names and grounds and even scores roll out,
like a batting order drawn up by eternity two
common friends names are especially remem-
bered RP and Aslam
RP and Aslam they were the Amitabh Bach-
han and Shashi Kapoor of Dehradun always
together, they were true heroes. RP, lean and
lithe, a natural athlete, good at any game, quiet
and true, a batsman who played as if in Essex,
and yet with the whippy excellence of Dravid.
He ended up teaching at the Doon School, a
local boy coming good ended up as a House-
master, should have been Headmaster. I actual-
ly managed to dismiss him once, at our ground
in Mussoorie my greatest sporting achieve-
ment.
And Aslam, the Afghan, tough and handsome
and full of so much life a real-life Dilip Ku-
mar, and he could play any sport, too as a
goalkeeper in football he was magical as a
wicketkeeper only slightly less magical.
This was in the pre-Dhoni era decades before
the Dhoni era when for us in Mussoorie, to
play cricket in Dehra Dun; to play cricket with
RP and Aslam was a dream come true; to even
dream of playing beyond Dehra Dun was in the
realm of fantasy.
I frmly believe, having now seen and played
cricket in Mumbai, that RP could have made it
to somewhere near the top. He had the grace
and style but, above all, he had a feeling for
the game. One of my favourite memories of him
was from a tournament in Mussoorie which
used to be held every year at the tiny ground of
the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Academy;
where future IAS offcers would come to learn
about life and love. The tournament was held
every year in memory of the father of Nand
Kishore Bamboo a six-a-side tournament
which was small-town Indian cricket at its best
players of the caliber of young Mohammad
Saif and his brother Kaif (yes, the same) actually
came and played but, back to RP. I can see
him making a round of the feld, cigarette dan-
gling from lip like a half-spoken wish, studying
the feld, the pitch, and light and shadows like
a shikari, preparing for the hunt.
I have seen Rahul Dravid do the same, Sachin-
but especially Dravid minus the cigarette, of
course. This is cricket the mental preparation,
to hone the mind to guide the body for in the
split-second you are blessed with before the ball
shatters your stumps, you must play your shot
as naturally as you take a breath and with the
same ease. That is what makes a player great,
whether Dravid or RP or Sachin
Across India then and now there were only
a few Dravids or Sachins or Gavaskars or
Vishwanaths but there were hundreds, maybe
thousands, of RPs each circling the grounds
of their town, their dreams; each knowing that
Test cricket was heaven, and almost all of us
would-be angels, but with wings either too
weak, or even if strong enough, not having the
wind to carry us there
I salute RP and Aslam and Ajay and David
the angels of my time, my town
And I salute Dhoni, and all the small-town
angels he has inspired and must go on inspir-
ing
Dhoni, grow your hair again
be yourself again
Tom Alter is supremely confdent that India can
regain its numero uno position in Test cricket.
For that, he wants Dhoni to shed inhibitions
and lead by example.
Tom Alter, Aug 18, 2011
D
honi, let your hair down. You have done
it all won world cups, been number
one, made your crores
Now, grow your hair again be yourself again
be what you really want to be. Open the bat-
ting for India in the fourth Test come up the
order as you did during the World Cup fnal and
proved yourself.
Do it again, open with Mukund let Gambhir
and Sehwag watch. Attack the English, you can
still do it, we know you want to swivel and
smash the ball to the fne leg, club it over mid-
off, launch it with a fourish over long-on, pull
it beyond mid-wicket plunder; loft; launch;
twirl; swirl; grow your hair again
You have played the game, been the serious cap-
tain reined yourself in, done the ads, listened
to your managers and your agents, played the
game and won. Now, be yourself again be a
young man from Bihar again from Ranchi
from before Jharkhand be yourself.
Open with Mukund then Dravid, and Sachin,
and Laxman they will give you one more great
Test. Then, Kohli and Raina have faith in
Raina have him bat at your number the ball
will be older and he will shine. Then, Ojha and
Kumar and Sharma and Patel. And watch RP
in the nets if he is ft, and bowling well, play
him instead of Sharma to surprise the English.
Attack them, they have the measure of Sharma
now, maybe, just maybe RP will surprise them
and Ojha is the surprise package. Mishra was
too timid, too few runs to play with we need
something fresh and new and you and Muku-
nd as the opening pair will be just that.
And get Fletcher to smile, at least once, it will
make a world of difference. We know you are
missing Kirsten, we all are he is the missing
link, but he is gone, so get Fletcher to smile, to
loosen up, it will help the whole team.
Grow your hair again be yourself, twirl your
bat, smile, take off your shirt and twirl it too.
Attack the bowling
And then, when youve scored a swashbuckling
87 and we have won the fourth Test and every-
one is feeling better do something even more
daring
Refuse to play in the Champions Trophy, we
knew you are bound by contract and crores,
but be brave open the batting, grow your hair
again do not play the Champions Trophy.
What an example you will set you may have
court-cases to face as a result, but let people
know that you really feel about what is right and
what is wrong.
And before you do that, win the One-Day series
attack we all still love you, the Dhoni of our
dreams, who created our dreams, who made
them come true number one Test team in the
world? You made us that, no one can take that
away from you.
You have made your mistakes; you know that in
your heart of hearts.
Now grow your hair again be yourself, twirl,
swirl let the nation be proud of you again; let
yourself be proud of yourself again.
And instead of playing the Champions Trophy,
take a little rest, let your hair grow, and then
play Ranji Trophy, to get ready for the Aussies
we can be number one again if you lead the
way.
You can do it, if you want to
Brand Dhoni has a life
after cricket
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has his eyes on much more
than the cricket ball. In his own way, he is redefning
what it means to be a big sports star in India.
Dhananjay Khadilkar, Oct 12, 2012
P
aris: MS Dhoni had a reason to be
pleased this Sunday because of his
teams performance not in cricket but
in the World Superbikes championship. British
rider Dan Linfoot of the MSD R-N team fnished
a remarkable 3rd in the Supersport category
giving the team its frst podium fnish in only its
sixth race, at the Magny Cours circuit in France.
Speaking exclusively to Firstpost after the race,
Arun Pandey, the teams Chariman & Managing
Director, said that the team had never expected
to fnish third in only their sixth race.
For us it was important that our riders ended
the season in the top 10. A podium result is an
amazing achievement. In the last race, Dan had
fnished seventh, now he has fnished third. This
result is a big thing for Indian sports, he said.
With the advent of Formula One in India, mo-
torsport has witnessed a surge in popularity in
India. Pandey, however, maintains that they are
currently focused only on the Superbikes cat-
egory.
For the time being, we are not focusing on any
other form of motorsport. India is the biggest
market for two wheelers and we feel that super
bikes will be successful in India. Dhoni, himself,
is fond of bikes, he said.
Pandey added that Superbikes will gain more
popularity in India from next year onwards as
the Buddh International Circuit at Noida will be
hosting a Superbikes round from 2013.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and
the world he is creating
Dhonis team will help it become popular in In-
dia. Thats why we are participating in Europe.
The amount of appreciation we are getting from
people and corporate houses in India is incredi-
ble. Super bikes will be one of the biggest sports
in India in the future. Almost everyone can
relate to this sport as most of us are passionate
about bikes. Since Superbikes will be coming to
India from next year, it will get bigger in India.
And right now in India, no ones bigger than
Dhoni. So what better way to promote a sport?
In a recent latest list of worlds 100 richest
sportspersons, released by the Forbes magazine,
Dhoni even pipped the likes of Usain Bolt, No-
vak Djokovic and teammate Sachin Tendulkar.
According to the list, Dhoni is ranked 31st,
which is way ahead of Djokovic (62nd), Bolt
(63rd) and Tendulkar (78th). Star footballers
Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres are also
behind Dhoni in the latest list.
Of his total earnings of 26.5 million, Dhoni
earns 23m through endorsements even the
worlds most popular footballer Lionel Messi
earns only $19 million through endorsements.
Pandeys vision, which generally is pretty simi-
lar to Dhonis, however, extends beyond Su-
perbikes. His frm, Rhiti Sports Management
company, recently created waves after signing
a Rs 40 crore deal with badminton star Saina
Nehwal.
Our endeavour is to promote other sports
in India. I am trying to give something back
to sports personalities from India who have
achieved a lot in their lives. I realised that
sports other than cricket are not marketed very
well. What Saina has achieved, and that too
at such a young age, is truly remarkable. She
has won medals at Olympics, Commonwealth
Games and Asiad as well as other prestigious
badminton events, he said.
Sources have also revealed that Rhiti Sports
is planning to provide a platform for budding
youngsters to bring glory to the country at the
Olympics very much like Olympic Gold Quest.
Not content with just cricket or other major
sports, Rhiti Sports is trying to develop other
sports and do things at the grassroots level.
Indian football is already in his sights as well.
There have been some reports of Rhiti Sports
trying to work out a deal with the All-India
Football Federation as well.
But Dhoni and Rhiti arent done by a long shot.
According to the Rhiti Sports website, Sportsft
by MSD is Indias Youngest and most Ambitious
Fitness Brand. And the plans are ambitious
indeed. SportsFit World Pvt Ltd plans to open
around 200 ftness centres using an investment
of around Rs 2,000 crore in the next fve years.
The company will also set up shop overseas.
Their idea is to change the way Indians look at
ftness.
And then there is the MS Dhoni Charitable
Foundation that endeavours to use the power of
sports and in particular, cricket, to bring togeth-
er the best talent available in the country and
help them develop their skills to maybe one day
live their dream of playing for the nation.
The foundation organises cricket tournaments
across 11 cities around India, thereby giving an
opportunity to the local raw talent to showcase
their abilities.
When asked as to how is it to be managing
Dhoni, Indias biggest sports star, Pandey said
that despite being the most sought after brand
ambassador, Dhoni is very humble.
It becomes very easy for me to take any deci-
sion, whether the project is big or small. He en-
thusiastically supports initiatives for promoting
other sports as well. I consider myself lucky and
privileged to be managing MS Dhoni, he said.
In his own way, he is redefning what it means
to be a big sports star in India. He is doing
things that few other cricketers have attempted
and that also means that the demands on his
time are great. Dhoni has always said that he is
someone who likes to live in the present but this
is clearly a case of planning for the future.
Perhaps he should do the same for his cricket
career as well.
For Dhoni, if its not about
cricket, its about bikes
MS Dhoni at the rechristening of his Superbike team MSD R-N. The team will now be called Mahi
Racing Team India. Sachin Gokhale/Firstpost
Despite its entry midway into the season, the team put up a strong performance, peaking at the
fnal race at Magny Cours, France with its rider Dan Linfoot pulling off a podium fnish. Sachin
Gokhale/Firstpost
Dhoni also said that his team is now in a position to set up a couple of riding schools in India.
Sachin Gokhale/Firstpost
Mahendra singh Dhoni with wife Sakshi and Nagarjuna with wife Amla. Dhoni said owning the
team was a dream come true for him as the project is quite close to his heart. Sachin Gokhale/
Firstpost
Dhoni to launch his
personal line of fragrances
The Indian captain will be personally involved in
the creation, formulation and development of the
M S Dhoni line of fragrances, which caters
exclusively to men.
PTI, Aug 17, 2012
K
olkata: The essence of being Mahendra
Singh Dhoni is set to cross the bounda-
ries of cricket as the India team captain
today became the frst Indian cricketer to an-
nounce his own signature brand of international
perfumes.
The development of the new line builds on
my own preferences for fragrances that remain
fresh and have an
international appeal, Dhoni said in a statement
issued here today.
I am confdent that the range will appeal to
those who seek fragrances that are long-lasting
and refreshing, he added.
The Indian captain will be personally involved
in the creation, formulation and development of
the M S Dhoni line of fragrances, which caters
exclusively to men. The launch makes Dhoni the
frst-ever Indian cricketer to have his own line
of fragrances and is expected to be introduced
in India, the UAE and the rest of the world be-
fore the end of the year.
Beauty Contact is acknowledged as the name
behind the success of top celebrity fragrance
brands in over 20 countries, including those
of Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Perry Ellis,
Maria Sharapova, Alfred Sung, Hummer and
Bob Mackie.
The frst line of fragrances will hit the Indian
market around the time of the Twenty20 World
Cup, slated to start in mid-September this year
in Sri Lanka.
The UAE debut is expected towards the end of
the year.
Dhoni to venture into
fitness biz, will set up 200 gyms
Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is ven-
turing into the business of ftness through a company
co-founded along with his business manager
Arun Pandey that plans to invest around
Rs 2,000 crore in the next fve years.
PTI, Apr 17, 2012
N
ew Delhi: Indian cricket captain Ma-
hendra Singh Dhoni is venturing into
the business of ftness through a com-
pany co-founded along with his business man-
ager Arun Pandey that plans to invest around
Rs 2,000 crore in the next fve years.
The new frm, SportsFit World Pvt Ltd plans
to open around 200 ftness centres under the
SportsFit brand not only in India but also over-
seas, including Australia, Middle East, Singa-
pore and the UK.
The frst four gyms will be launched in May.
The plan is to set up a big chain of such ftness
centres across India and international desti-
nations where Dhoni has huge fan following,
Rhiti Sports Management Promoter Arun Pan-
dey said.
The company is currently exploring geographies
like Australia, Middle East, Singapore and the
UK.
Rhiti Sports currently manages Dhonis brand
endorsement deals.
On the planned investment for the venture,
Pandey said it is up to Rs 2,000 crore and
already a few overseas investors have already
picked minority stake in SportsFit World. The
majority equity is held by Pandey and Dhoni
together.
We have strong backing from several banks,
who are ready to fund the project. Apart from
that, a lot of other investors are showing keen
interest in the venture, he added.
The frst four gyms under SportsFit brand will
open in Gurgaon, Delhi, Chandigarh and Fari-
dabad.
To begin with, the ftness clubs will be operated
by SportsFit World, but going ahead we might
consider franchise options, he said.
Commenting on the marketing plans for the
new venture he said: Dhoni will be the face of
the brand and an aggressive marketing cam-
paign has been prepared to support the plan.
When asked about international launch Pandey
said: We will make announcement related to
global foray at the time of launch of the frst
four gyms next month.
Dhoni is currently the face of around 25 brands
and charges around Rs 5 crore per endorse-
ment, according to industry estimates.
The brands endorsed by the Indian cricket cap-
tain include Reebok, Aircel and Godrej.
Drogba doesnt know Sachin
but hes heard of Dhoni
Drogba is in India for a promotional visit and he
also said that he feels it is the right time to
move on from Chelsea.
Arlene Chang, Jun 17, 2012
N
ew Delhi: Chelseas star forward, Di-
dier Drogba, who played a key role in
the football clubs Champions League
win last month was in New Delhi today. On his
maiden visit to India, the Ivory Coast striker
and brand ambassador of Pepsi came to grace
the companys T20 Football grand fnale at Thy-
agaraj Stadium in Delhi, where he also spoke
about Chealseas Champions league win, cricket
and his favourite footballer.
On the recent Champions League win
The last moments when we were in the penal-
ties was like a dream. The whole scenario was
like a Hitchcock movie. I was initially sad, nerv-
ous and then very happy when we went from the
penalty kick to the goal. There were many many
mixed emotions. We had been trying to win the
Champions League for eight years now and Im
very happy we could do it this year.
On playing for Chealsea FC
It was something I dreamed of since I was a kid
and when I got a chance to play with Chelsea, it
was a dream come true. Eight years with Chel-
sea were the best years of my life and career.
Its diffcult, very diffcult for me to move on
my heart is blue. But it is the right time to leave
and the next step will be interesting. I took the
decision to leave the club after the Champions
League win. Im just very happy that we have
made Chelsea a club known around the world,
Drogba says.
On Cricket
Didnt follow cricket before, but I followed the
World Cup and I know that India won it, he
says.
And what does he now understand about the
game, you ask. He says, It took me very long to
understand the game. It is too long, played over
many days, but I know India are the champions
in it and people in India are crazy about it. So I
respect them.
Sachin Tendulkar, who?
When asked whether he followed cricket and
who he knows from the Indian cricket team,
Drogba said, I dont know the names of Indian
players.
On further being prompted about captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni or perhaps Sachin
Tendulkar, Drogba said, I know your captain
though I cannot pronounce his name. I followed
the last Cricket World Cup. The Indian team
were the world champions. I think he (Dhoni) is
a very good leader. I know of the captain be-
cause I followed the last cricket World Cup
said Drogba (completely ignoring the mention
of Sachin Tendulkar).
On the T20 format of football
This format will change the game. I know
that cricket is the number 1 game in India, but
football is number 1 in Africa and Europe. I love
cricket but football is going to give cricket in
India very good competition with this format.
On his favourite footballer and opponent
Its amazing how football is one of the most
popular sports of the world and if you asked
me to pick the best contemporary player I have
played against it will be Lionel Messi.
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The rise and the fall

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