Picking MS Dhoni changed national side’s power dynamics, admits Kris Srikkanth

MS Dhoni’s debut in 2004 surely changed the landscape of Indian cricket, taking the sport out of the national side’s power dynamics from the metro cities. Kris Srikkanth added that it was indeed Dhoni’s debut from the east that changed the entire landscape of cricketers in smaller cities. The right-hander took over from Sourav Ganguly, who on the other side of the spectrum - aggressive compared to Dhoni’s cool and calm nature. 

"When somebody like Dhoni made it to the national side, the powerhouses of Indian cricket started to change, a cricketer from Ranchi was a masterstroke, a zonal selector was watching cricket in the east and he saw something really special in Dhoni. Post Dhoni era, we have seen a lot of players from small towns making the cut. This legacy will be very huge and it is a testament to Dhoni,” he said, reported TOI. 

The 39-year-old also holds the record of being the only captain to win all the major ICC trophies - including winning the Champions Trophy in 2013 against England. His first stint as the Indian captain came in 2007 before the inaugural T20 World Cup, which India won. And his first stint as Indian skipper in the longest-format came soon after Kumble stepped down from captaincy and the Test scene. 

"When Dhoni was the captain in the 2007 T20 World Cup, he handled the side really well, the win boosted his confidence. He has always been calm and cool, he has motivated the players, aggressive culture was brought in by Sourav Ganguly, MS was totally opposite of that, when Kumble was the captain of the Test side, it was a good chance for Dhoni to learn. Anil gave him much-needed experience, Dhoni gave a lot of confidence to the players."