MS Dhoni has been a great influence in my cricket arena: Mahmudullah
Former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has grown into an inspiration not just for budding cricketers but also for those who are part of the game and have played alongside him. His calm and composed demeanour, even under pressure, has impressed thousands, and Bangladesh T20 captain Mahmudullah is among them.
Speaking to CricFrenzy in a Facebook Live chat, Mahmudullah revealed that he has always been a huge fan of the veteran Indian cricketer and that he watches his matches whenever idle to try and pick his brain.
“I’m a huge fan of MS Dhoni, the way he controls himself. He also batted at five-six for the India team and whenever I sit idle I try to watch his innings, even watch live games of his. And try to learn how he composes himself in the game,” Mahmudullah said. (Also Read | MS Dhoni is the best finisher the game has ever seen: Greg Chappell)
Mahmudullah further said that he has tried to implement Dhoni's mindset given that he too bats at No.5 or 6 for Bangladesh.
“It is not easy having 50 plus average in ODI cricket for so many matches and having a strike rate of 90 plus, it’s amazing and the way he controls the game till the last, similarly I also have to bat at five-six so I try to learn these things from him. He’s been a great influence in my cricket arena,” he added. (Also Read | Rohit Sharma's captaincy is very similar to MS Dhoni: Suresh Raina)
Under his captaincy, Bangladesh had defeated India for the first time in a T20I series last November, with the visitors managing a 2-1 win.
Following the victory, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan opined, “There was a hint of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his captaincy as he also used part-time bowlers after the power play which is a strategy often used by Dhoni,” on Star Sports.
