Dwaine Pretorius awestruck by MS Dhoni's calmness
After the recently concluded IPL 2022, various players are now ready to put on their national colors and gear up for the T20 world cup which is going to take place in Australia later this year. Ahead of South Africa's start to their India tour, bowling all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius has said that he had a lot to learn from his Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni. The former India skipper who has this reputation of maintaining a cool head on the field has left a lasting impact on Pretorius.
Pretorius who was picked up by the four-time champions for a base price of Rs 50 lakh said "Playing my first IPL was a great experience. It was one of my bucket list items to get the opportunity to play for CSK, one of the most successful franchises. I enjoyed every moment of it. You get a lot of responsibility as a player". Speaking about his CSK skipper MS Dhoni, Pretorius further added, "I really enjoyed playing under Dhoni as well and batting with him, seeing the brand value he has in India just shows how big he is and what he has done for the sport in this country. It was awesome being a part of that".
The South African pacer made his debut in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League and went on to claim six wickets with best bowling figures of 2 for 30. Pretorius shed some light on the learnings that he gathered from IPL and said "playing alongside Dhoni has been my biggest gain. The biggest thing that I observed is how calm he is at the crease, the way he takes the pressure off himself and tries to put it on to the bowler. He made me realize that at the death it's the bowlers who are under pressure. It was a fresh mindset and also he doesn't get too excited and is always optimistic".
The 33-year-old also believes that performances in the upcoming T20I series will play a crucial role in his world cup selection as he looks to put his best foot forward against the boys in blue who are being considered as one of the favorites to win the title in Australia this year.
(Inputs from PTI)
