Celebrating Dhoni
I was 10 years old when I first started playing cricket. To me, cricket initially was all about standing on the field with my hands in my pockets while the game was on play. I never really developed a connection to the game. Sure, hanging out with my flat-mates was all that was on my “to-do list”, but that’s all that cricket meant to me.
On the eve of the world cup final, I remember my dad walking into the room with a blue shirt on and switching the channel to the match. Things did not seem to be going great for India. And it was almost as if the cup was slipping away. You could feel the pulse in the room as if we had all our stakes placed on this victory, as if it was a “maana prachana”. Which was when I actually understood that cricket was a serious business in this country.
Dhoni’s innings changed my life. That six to finish it all, how calm he was during the post-match presentation, his style, zeal, charisma! Everything impressed me! That night, I told my grandmother that I wanted to learn to play cricket, and the next morning, I was forcefully woken up at 5 AM and taken to “Kedars Cricket Academy” where I spent most of my weekends for a couple of years and two summer camps.
When it was time to pick what I wanted to play, I was sure that I was going to be a Batsman-wicketkeeper just like my main man! That evening, as soon as my father had gotten back from work, I convinced him to take me to shop for wicketkeeper gloves at Pavillion Sports in Wallajah Road. I remember getting a pair of green SG gloves which I was sure to flaunt at coaching the next day.
A year into playing cricket, I was awarded a trophy for being a “promising cricketer”. This meant a lot to me as a 12-year-old boy. Soon after, I was made captain for an intra-camp tournament. I remember doing everything Dhoni did before, during and after a match, the classic way he tossed a coin, how he did his stumping, and how he decided his batting order.
While I do not play cricket off-late, that stint taught me a lot. To be quick on my feet, stay calm and keep on “paathukalaming” through life. All this, because of that one magical inning.
Dhoni, with his magic, has made my life merrier. Every match with him on the field was a million emotions. Be it yellow, blue or (sad to say) purple, my heart beats Dhoni.
And today, I celebrate the legend he is, the story he says and the lives he has shaped.
Happy Birthday, Dhoni, you will always be my captain!
