‘Mr MS Dhoni is very similar’: Deepti Sharma compares Indian legend to Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic and MS Dhoni Indian women’s cricket team all-rounder Deepti Sharma has compared former India captain MS Dhoni’s composure under pressure to that of tennis great Novak Djokovic, saying both the sporting icons have a rare ability to remain calm when the stakes are highest.Deepti, who is participating in Wimbledon for the first time, described the experience as a long cherished dream and spoke about the athletes who inspired her on and off the court.Drawing parallels between the 24-time Grand Slam champion and the legendary Indian wicketkeeper batsman, Deepti highlighted the mental strength that sets the two apart.“When you talk about Djokovic, everyone talks about his mental strength. He is someone who never gives up no matter how tough the situation is. In cricket, I think Sir MS Dhoni is very similar. He is known for being very cool and calm. Whenever pressure situations come, he handles them really well. It never looks like he is in a difficult situation. He handles pressure so easily,” Jio Hotstar Deepti said.“Both Djokovic and Dhoni have the rare quality of staying calm and strong when it matters most. Watching them, we learn how to stay calm and find a way out of difficult situations,” she added.Deepti also revealed that watching a Wimbledon match live had been on her bucket list for years.“It’s been a dream of mine to come and see a Wimbledon match one day and it feels really good to finally be here. When you go to see a match in an iconic place like this and when you’ve always seen it on TV, but today you see it live for the first time, it’s an amazing feeling. The atmosphere, the crowd, the energy – everything is different. I really enjoy watching tennis. It’s great at Wimbledon,” she said.The Indian all-rounder named Djokovic as her favorite tennis player, praising his combativeness and resilience.“My favorite is Djokovic. I watch his game very closely. The way he fights on the court, his mental strength and his never giving up, I really admire all of that. Watching him play is always inspiring,” she said.“I grew up watching greats like Federer and Nadal. I have been watching their matches closely for a long time. But recently, Djokovic has become my favourite. Now I watch his matches more than anyone else,” added Deepti.When asked which Indian sports personalities she would like to accompany her to Wimbledon, Deepti picked the three biggest names in cricket.“I would pick three people to take with me: Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, Mr. Ravi Shastri and Mr. Sunil Gavaskar. They are all legends in their own right and I think watching tennis with them would be a great experience. They have so much knowledge about the sport and I would love to hear their thoughts and analysis while watching the matches,” she said.