“He told Ruturaj he couldn’t take a single piece of advice”: Dhoni ahead of CSK’s last home game

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (right) and MS Dhoni during training. (PTI Photo)

CHENNAI: MS Dhoni is widely expected to be seen in action for the last time at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. On Sunday, he turned up late to practice, got stuffed, warmed up a bit and headed straight for the nets and hit those huge sixes that we’ve become so used to over the years.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!It was not clear from CSK if he would play, although it was said that he would hold the usual fan events that he does every year at the end of CSK’s domestic campaign. Although Dhoni missed mid-season due to a calf injury, his experience was invaluable to the team. During a pre-training event on Sunday, Dhoni spoke about his suggestions to captain Ruturaji Gaikwad.“I told Rutu to run CSK the way he wanted to run it. That’s how I ran CSK for a very long time. And I always felt that it’s a game where the captain has to make the decisions. Yes, there are coaches and support things, but it’s not like in football where the manager makes the decisions. In cricket, it’s about the captain and he has to make the decisions,” Dhoni said.READ ALSO: Will MS Dhoni play CSK’s last home match of the season today?Legend has it that there may be things Ruturaj can pick up from him, but basically he needs to be his own person. “Yes, there will be certain things he picks up from the way I used to lead. But individuals are different… Whatever you feel your style is, you have full freedom to decide here,” Dhoni said.The 44-year-old man explained how he advised his protégé that he would be willing to give advice. “I’m very open, I’ll come and talk to you, but you don’t have to do a single thing that I talk to you about. Let’s say I come with ten pieces of advice, if you don’t follow even one, it’s fair. When you’re a leader, you have to take that responsibility. As a leader, you see the resources you have and how you want to use them,” Dhoni added.The former captain, who led the team to five titles, insisted that he always insisted on a ‘cricket first’ approach that led to the team’s success. “We are someone who believes in focusing more on cricket. Yes, we have had to do a lot of other things related to cricket, but as a franchisee we know that our essence is cricket and we should stick to that,” he said at an event organized by Etihad, one of the team’s sponsors.Dhoni’s amazing fan following also came into the discussion and the Jharkhand man explained how he didn’t go the extra mile to ensure it.

Will MS Dhoni play CSK’s last home match of the season?

“In my case, I never wanted to woo fans or have more followers. I wanted to be authentic, once you’re authentic, people will love you and pick things they love about you,” said Dhoni, which may be a lesson for hungry modern cricketers.He added that the team’s consistency went a long way in its success. “Fan support matters, when the chips are down you can get another 10-15% from the crowd,” Dhoni said.