'Teri age 32 hai lekin tera sharir 52 ka hai' - Ishant Sharma reveals how MS Dhoni pulls his leg

MS Dhoni’s illustrious career as the captain of the national side is the proof of his calibre. Considered as one of the most successful skippers to lead Team India, the Ranchi stalwart is the only captain in the history of the sport to have won three ICC trophies– T20 World Cup (2007), ODI World Cup (2011) and Champions Trophy (2013).

Along with Sourav Ganguly, Dhoni played a pivotal role in revolutionizing Indian cricket, especially in terms of winning the silverware. It all started with a young Dhoni lifting the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa. During Dhoni’s reign, many players flourished under his leadership. India pacer Ishant Sharma also evolved when Dhoni was at the helm.

The pacer, in a recent interaction with Deep Dasgupta, revealed how Dhoni pulls his leg over his age. Apart from being a composed skipper and player, Dhoni is also known for his sense of humour.

Even MS Dhoni messages me and says– what’s up, old man?: Ishant Sharma

Ishant revealed in Cricket Baazi for ESPNCricinfo, “Actually, mentally main 32 se zyada ka ho chuka hun. Meri biwi mujhe buddha bolti hai. Mahi bhai ka bhi mujhe message aata hain aur woh bhi mujhe bolte hain ‘aur buddhe, kya kar raha hai?’.

Main unko bolta hun ‘Mahi bhai, main 32 saal ka hun’, toh woh kehte hain ‘teri age 32 hai, lekin tera sharir 52 ka hai beta’ (Mentally, I am over 32 now. My wife already refers to me as an ‘old man’. Even MS Dhoni messages me and says, ‘what’s up, old man?’. To this, I tell him, ‘Dhoni bhai, I am only 32.’ He replies, ‘Your age is 32 but your body is around 52, son’).

31-year-old Ishant, who has donned the Indian jersey in all formats, delivered many impressive performances while playing under Dhoni. Ishant had grabbed the headlines for his short-pitched antics at Lord’s in 2014, where he dismantled the English batting force to register match-winning figures of 7/74.

Both Ishant and Dhoni will next be seen in action during the forthcoming IPL 2020 edition, which is set to be hosted in the UAE for the second time. The much-awaited tournament was set to start from March 29th but coronavirus pandemic was the reason behind it getting postponed indefinitely. One of the most successful skippers of the IPL, Dhoni will be leading Chennai Super Kings from the front while Ishant will be seen donning the Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi Capitals jersey.