Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a name that is revered across India and the world even though he has been retired for over 2 years. MSD called time on his career on 15th August, 2020 after playing nearly 16 years for India.
Dhoni ended his stint as an India player becoming one of the most successful skippers in the annals of the game. 2023 might see the great wicket keeper batter play cricket for the last time when he takes the field for perhaps the last time during the TATA IPL 2023 season.
The story as it happened –
Discarded India wicket keeper batter, Wridhiman Saha is currently leading Tripura in the domestic cricket. Saha was the player who replaced Dhoni behind the stumps in test cricket post MSD’s sudden retirement in late 2014. The 38 year old Kolkata native shared an interesting story about the former India skipper during their early years.
When MSD came to Kolkata to play club cricket –
Wriddhiman Saha gained headlines when he made his debut for KKR during the 2008 IPL season. it took him two years to make his debut for India by which time MS Dhoni was already the captain and a celebrated name.
Speaking to Gujarat Titans, the 38 year old veteran recounted a rather interesting tale. Saha said “MSD is known well around the world. We used to play a tournament in Kolkata. At that time I used to play for a club which also allowed outsiders to take part in the matches. One of the officials of the club knew MSD personally and was kinda close to him so he called Dhoni to play the game”
MSD takes the game by storm –
As the story goes, Saha and MSD opened the batting that day and the opposition bowlers were in for a leather hunt. Saha said “back then Dhoni had just made his ODI debut for India. We both opened the innings on that day, by the time I had scored 36 he was on 9. He walked up to me and said ‘take a single and give me the strike’. I obliged and gave him the strike. By the time I reach 41 he had scored a century”
Saha and MS Dhoni also spent a few years in the Chennai Super Kings dugout and the Indian dressing room. Saha was a huge figure for India in the test match format from 2014 to 2021.