India won the T20 world cup. People said Dhoni is lucky. CSK wins IPL3. People say Dhoni is very lucky. CSK win Champions League. People say Dhoni is very very lucky. India crowned Number 1 in the ICC Test Rankings. People say this Dhoni has always been lucky. Now, the mother of all: India wins the WORLD CUP. What now? Dhoni is the most luckiest person on this planet? Or Super Lucky? Hey, hold on. One can be lucky once, or twice, or thrice, or max say for an year or two. If we say somebody is lucky all through his career, aren't we kidding?
It has always remained a puzzle to me why people say Dhoni is lucky. Personally, I do not believe in luck. For the simple reason that when you make mistakes we tend to blame it on not being lucky. By the way, what exactly is luck? Luck does not mean good fortune. The business books define luck as: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity". But, can we say getting an opportunity itself is luck? Not really. Waiting for an opportunity to knock our door is one, creating opportunities is another. Whenever Dhoni does something different, he creates opportunities and when it clicks, it turns out to be lucky.
Now, look at Dhoni's success, you will realize what MSD is all about. A leader who believes to the core in what he does, and he does things by taking decisions which virtually stumps everybody right from the top cricketing brains to as small as an ordinary cricket follower, and backs it up with tremendous hard work. Those bold decisions, when clicks, people see him as lucky. And when it does not click, you know it, simply gets thrashed by the media all over the place. The best part of MSD is whenever his decisions click, he does not get overwhelmed with the response, when his decisions backfire, neither does he get bogged down by the criticism. He does not take decisions to please others. Neither he does things which is as per the book. He does what he thinks is right and stands by it. By the way, is not this what a leader is all about? To give an example of how Dhoni does not get overwhelmed when his super idea clicks, read this: During IPL3 finals, Pollard was caught in perhaps what is considered as the most unconvential position in the field. The fielder standing right next to the bowler's run-up. When Dhoni was asked about this superb positioning, this is what Dhoni had to say:"There is no rocket science behind the move. We found he hits a lot in that area, and tried keeping a man there, and it worked." This is what we call as a Dhoni Sixer off the field.
Now, look at Dhoni's success, you will realize what MSD is all about. A leader who believes to the core in what he does, and he does things by taking decisions which virtually stumps everybody right from the top cricketing brains to as small as an ordinary cricket follower, and backs it up with tremendous hard work. Those bold decisions, when clicks, people see him as lucky. And when it does not click, you know it, simply gets thrashed by the media all over the place. The best part of MSD is whenever his decisions click, he does not get overwhelmed with the response, when his decisions backfire, neither does he get bogged down by the criticism. He does not take decisions to please others. Neither he does things which is as per the book. He does what he thinks is right and stands by it. By the way, is not this what a leader is all about? To give an example of how Dhoni does not get overwhelmed when his super idea clicks, read this: During IPL3 finals, Pollard was caught in perhaps what is considered as the most unconvential position in the field. The fielder standing right next to the bowler's run-up. When Dhoni was asked about this superb positioning, this is what Dhoni had to say:"There is no rocket science behind the move. We found he hits a lot in that area, and tried keeping a man there, and it worked." This is what we call as a Dhoni Sixer off the field.
Many believe Dhoni is lucky perhaps because he himself says so. Whenever asked about the kind of team he has, Dhoni tells I am lucky to have a team like this. When asked about the commitment and the kind of effort his team members put, Dhoni says "I am lucky". When asked about his unexpected moves turning to be the trump card of a match, Dhoni says "I am lucky". Looks like Dhoni himself has partly created this lucky tag. Let me tell you one thing: These great leaders have something in common. When everything goes fine for them, they say I am lucky always understating their effort. However, when things do not go their way, NEVER they say that they are unlucky. Instead, simply they go back to the drawing board and start analyzing what wrong did I do without blaming anybody. This is MSD all about, a champion leader the country is gifted with.
Yuvraj turned out to be India's trump card in this world cup. Its a known fact that Yuvraj is the most talented player in this Indian team after Sachin. However, given the kind of woeful form he was in for atleast a year and a half prior to the world cup, there might have been some selectors who might have had a second thought on Yuvi's inclusion in the world cup. What about Dhoni's view point? Not once, not even once did Dhoni said a word during any of the press conferences about Yuvi's lack of form. He backed Yuvi to the core, saying always Yuvi can turn a match at any point of time, and he is just one step away from it. Imagine Dhoni kept repeating the same for an year atleast. And finally, it is Yuvi who showed us the way. It looks these leaders when they want somebody, no matter what happens, they give such a long rope to walk, they make sure the person is carried along. Hats-off to MSD.
And for Sachin, what a moment it would have been!!! I wonder thinking had it ever happened in any sport where a whole team is playing for one person! A team which is so determined to give back the most cherished gift to their most important person. Kohli's statement to Nasser Hussain on taking Sachin for the honour lap summed it all: " Sachin has been carrying the burden of the whole country for 20 years on his shoulders. Its time we carry him now on our shoulders". Fabulous fabulous scenes those were to see Sachin so emotional!!!
Dear Dhoni, you gave back the joy on the millions of faces of Indians when we were surrounded everywhere with scams and corruption. More than the joy, its the emotional tear at the corner of our eyes you brought when you hit that winning six in the final. Finally, when we saw you too in tears, the country realized you are also an ordinary human being who can get emotional. As Sanjay Manjrekar aptly put it: "The dam broke today". Indians love you Dhoni, the leader.
MSD will carry on and on, will also carry his lucky tag along with him, and will continue to be so throughout his career, infact super lucky as he keeps winning more and more. No issues rite as long as it is advantage India? Keep this world cup aside, this Ranchi hero, this super quality individual, had been and will always be my role model, a huge inspiration. Hope this decade of Indian cricket will be known as the Mahi era.
P.S: Spare a thought for the venue of the final: The Wankhade in MUMBAI. If at all India is ever to host a final of a world cup match, make no mistake, it has to be MUMBAI. The city which is home for some of the biggest Indian millionaires, has always been at the receiving end of biggest terror strikes in India. Attack after attack jeopardized people. The ordeal underwent by the Mumbaikars in these attacks is inexplicable. The amount of lives lost cannot be compensated. Now, when the ultimate thing happens for the country, it has to be MUMBAI which should be part of this. No way this is going to compensate for all the loss the city had nor it is going to minimize their pain, but definitely a soothing effect which makes their heart fill with joy, more so it is Sachin's world cup. ICC, thank you for doing your bit in choosing Mumbai and Dhoni for lighting up Mumbai.
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