MS Dhoni Reveals The Dark Side Of Indian Dressing Room

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in the frame (AFP)

In the past decade, former India captain MS Dhoni has built a reputation that few captains in world sport have matched. The "Captain Cool" is known for his demeanour under pressure, rarely showing any emotion on the field. Behind that quiet persona, however, was a leader who had to manage a dressing room full of powerful personalities, including fiery competitors like Virat Kohli.

In an interview with 'Curly Tales', Dhoni offered a rare glimpse into how leadership in the Indian cricket team is one of the toughest jobs on earth. He further spoke about how he used to

"We often deal with stars": MS Dhoni on managing the high-profile players as captain

Dhoni’s captaincy began in 2007, a time when Indian cricket was still transitioning from the Ganguly–Dravid generation. Over the next decade, the game exploded commercially through the Indian Premier League (IPL), social media, and global broadcasting. Players were no longer just cricketers; they were brands, celebrities, and icons.

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While acknowledging this shift, Dhoni revealed his "private confrontation over public humiliation and scolding" mantra, which made him the most successful captain in Indian cricket history.

When asked about how he maintained his calm under pressure and what he chose to react to a player's mistake, MS Dhoni said, "And I have to groom them in a way that they don't repeat their mistakes. And scolding them in front of 40,000 audience and, you know, millions watching on TV is never a good idea, you know, when it comes to being around with teammates. "

The host asked, "When do you react?" To which he explained, "(In the) dressing room."

Dhoni further added, "It works the best when you take the person on the side and you tell them whatever it is... If I say the same thing in front of 15 people... he may not like it."

"He has scolded me in front of everyone. So, the whole emphasis upon, you know, what was wrong and what needs to be addressed, that has become a sideline."

Dhoni on 'star' culture in Indian cricket

The former Indian skipper also emphasised the fact that players are entitled to be called 'stars' and expect to be spoken to in a special way. "We also, we deal with stars, you know, so often. And I felt that way. Your tone is very important. The words you choose is very important. Because I'm not doing what I'm doing to put him down. I want him to improve."

Undeniably, being an Indian cricketer is often characterised by attributes of the extreme "star value" and "demi-god" status. Thus, there have been several cases of ‘attitude issues’ in the cricket team. 

Nevertheless, MS Dhoni with his grit and player managing abilities became the only captain to win all three major ICC trophies. 

Fallout with senior cricketers

Dhoni is one of the most loved cricketers globally. However, sitting in a position of power, he has had a fair share of disputes with senior members of the ICT. 

For instance, former India opener Virendra Sehwag publicly slammed Dhoni’s behaviour towards senior players in the past. During India’s tour of Australia in 2012, Dhoni had said in the media that the reason why the three senior players Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gambhir were being rotated at the top of the order was that they were slow fielders.

“When MS Dhoni said in Australia that top three are slow fielders, we were never asked or consulted. We got to know from the media. He said at the press conference but not at the team meeting that we are slow fielders,” Sehwag had said.

It is worth noting that this is just an instance. Many other high-profile retired cricketers have across and publicly cricticized Dhoni's behaviour and decisions in the past.

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