Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was praised by former Australian batsman Michael Hussey. He hailed Dhoni as 'the greatest finisher of all time that the cricketing world has ever produced'
Bengaluru: Former Australian batsman Michael Hussey has heaped praise on India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his finishing skills and “unbelievable power”.
Hussey, who himself was a well-known finisher, played with Dhoni for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Now, the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament has been deferred this year due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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“Dhoni is the greatest finisher of all time that the cricketing world has ever produced,” Hussey told former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar during a video chat on espncricinfo. “Dhoni can keep his cool and make the opposition captain blink first. Dhoni also has unbelievable power. He knows that when he needs to clear the ropes he can do it. He has that kind of self-belief. Honestly, I didn’t have that kind of belief in myself.”
On elaborating what he learnt from the CSK captain, Hussey said, “I tried not to let it reach 12 or 13 runs an over. And I learnt this from MS Dhoni. He is incredible. He believes that he who panics last wins the game. So Dhoni would keep his cool, and keep it longer because the pressure is on the bowler as well.”
Talking about players like Dhoni and Ricky Ponting, Hussey said they don’t think of losses and move on to the next game. “They don’t hang on to a defeat for too long. If they lose, they move on quickly. They don’t let a loss or a win hamper their thinking. They are always consistent, and level-headed whether it’s MS Dhoni or Ricky Ponting,” he said.
Dhoni has not played international cricket since July 2019. His last appearance for India was in the ICC World Cup 2019 semi-final against New Zealand in England. Recently, former India opener Aakash Chopra said Dhoni might not play for India again.
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