5 Instances when MS Dhoni proved he has 'the smartest cricketing brain'

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only captain to have won all ICC events. Other than being an aggressive batsman, who is known for taking calculated risks, his captaincy has made him into the cricketing legend. Well, there is no doubting the fact that the captain in cricket needs to have a quick presence of mind in order to keep helping his side win.

Having led the Indian team and Chennai Super Kings to so many glories over the years, there is no doubt that the man has a brain designed for taking correct cricketing decisions. As we have watched him since 2005, even we have started to believe that the Jharkhand superstar can pull off any cricketing miracle.

Without further to do, let us check 5 Instances when MS Dhoni proved he has ‘the smartest cricketing brain’:

1. Have players practise bowl out before the match

This incident is related to what goes behind the scenes. In the 2007 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, India was up against Pakistan in their final group match. India needed a win or a tie to qualify for the next round. Having set Pakistan a target of 142, the Indian bowlers executed their plans right. The arch-rivals could only manage to tie that match. This was followed by a bowl-out.

Pakistan went with Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat and Shahid Afridi for their first three shot at the stumps. However, unlike Pakistan, Indian captain MS Dhoni decided to go with his part-time bowlers, Virender Sehwag and Robin Uthappa, along with Harbhajan Singh, the leader of the spin bowling department.

The move worked brilliantly as India went on to win the bowl-out 3-0. Pakistan team missed every shot while Indians hit each one of them. The reason behind India’s success was something to do with Dhoni’s tactics. The new skipper had asked his teammates to practise the bowl out in the nets before the match, as he knew it was in the rules. Dhoni also decided not to go with his premier bowlers as he thought that the ball might swing a little bit and not hit the stumps.