Aakash Chopra believes that MS Dhoni receives a level of love and respect similar to what Sachin Tendulkar received during his active career.
Dhoni, who retired in 2020, achieved significant success in international cricket as both a player and captain. Despite retiring from international play, he continued to lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and secured two IPL trophies in 2021 and 2023.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra observed that MS Dhoni is held in high esteem comparable to Sachin Tendulkar. He mentioned (at 13:45):
“Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a cult hero. As his career progressed, the love and respect kept going to a different level. The love and respect he gets is as much as I saw Sachin Paaji getting.”
The ex-Indian opener highlighted that MS Dhoni relinquished Test cricket when Virat Kohli was prepared to assume the captaincy.
“Generally, you are lingering on. You feel the respect is going but the guy doesn’t want to leave and keeps playing. He did not do that. In 2015, when we were in Australia, he said that he was done with Test cricket. He said that he has prepared Virat and that he can take the team forward,” Chopra stated.
Chopra noted that Dhoni recognized the Indian Test team had moved beyond the need for his leadership. Dhoni refrained from pursuing certain personal records that were within reach.
Despite his limited social media presence, the wicketkeeper-batsman discreetly announced his international retirement through an Instagram post.
“It seems like he is one of their own” – Aakash Chopra discusses the deep admiration of CSK fans for MS Dhoni
Aakash Chopra observed that MS Dhoni receives the same treatment as a local cricketer in Chennai. He mentioned:
“The way Chennai has adopted him, you get to see that in very few places with any player. He is not from there but it never seemed like he is not from there. It seems like he is one of their own, as though he might have been born in one of Chennai’s lanes.”
The former cricketer, now a commentator, mentioned that MS Dhoni, originally from Jharkhand, has reciprocated the affection just as much.
“In a sense, he is an outsider, he comes from Ranchi, but he got a lot of love from there. He returned that love with a lot of performances. He embraced the team and won them a lot,” Chopra observed.
Dhoni has accumulated 5082 runs with an average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 135.91 across 218 IPL innings for the Chennai Super Kings. As their leader, he has guided them to five IPL titles and aims for a record sixth trophy this season, potentially marking his final season as a player in the esteemed league.
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