In the words of Ian Chappell, after India’s World Cup victory, “Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s polished performance as skipper, where he pushed, prodded and cajoled his side into peaking at the right time, has shown he’s not only the best leader in the game, but also one of the finest of the last 30 years.” Ayaz Memon, one of India’s most prolific journalists, brings with him 33 years of experience in sports writing. Not for nothing is he known as Captain Cool, for Dhoni brought home cricket’s most coveted trophies to India, from the World Cup to the inaugural T20 Championship. Everything about MS Dhoni, from his early years to his trajectory towards stardom, from his fearless and indomitable batting skills to his courageous captaincy is here in this biography of one of India’s most recognizable cricketing icons. Not only did he become captain of a successful Indian cricket team, he moulded that captaincy to his own image, with his strength, conviction and daring strategies. Maybe he should have stuck to it instead of trying his hand in writing books especially a biography.įrom here on, the story of Dhoni has been nothing short of magical. Captain Cool is the story of M.S.Dhoni, Indian cricket's poster boy it is also the heartwarming account of the life of a young man who won India the World Twenty 20 title but can still tell his throngs of admirers, 'I am the same boy from Ramchi.' The author is supposed to be one of the best-known sports journalist. But 'brute strength', 'murderous form' and 'a man possessed' were some of the phrases that came to mind when, on 5 April 2005 in Vishakapatnam, he exploded onto international consciousness by becoming the first regular Indian keeper to score a one-day century. Captain Cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni is as calm and unruffled a sportsman on the field as he is self-effacing off it. On these pitches, bowlers consistently bowled yorkers and Dhoni had to learn to use his shoulders and forearms to dig the ball out-a skill that helps him today.Mahendra Singh Dhoni is as calm and unruffled a sportsman on the field as he is self-effacing off it. The book is peppered with interesting nuggets like this one: Dhoni developed a unique technique by playing with a tennis ball on 18-yard pitches in Kharagpur, where he moved in 2001 for his first job as a railway ticket collector. Statistician Mohandas Menon adds a lot of value, especially with Dhoni's batting figures when he played for Bihar, Jharkhand and East Zone. Ezekiel makes us realise what it means to slog it out in cricket's dusty domestic circuit. The first two chapters, 'Early Years' and 'First Class Cricket', give a great insight into the kinds of challenges Dhoni faced while growing up: He wasn't a natural like Sachin Tendulkar he was rejected by the Railways Ranji Trophy team playing for a small Ranji side like Bihar wasn't easy either, and the 2001-02 season was an 'unmitigated disaster'. Ezekiel has used his extensive network of contacts in the world of cricket, including former players, coaches and administrators, to highlight Dhoni's humble Ranchi roots like no one else. The book is at its strongest at the start.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |