Kapil Dev has said that Dhoni is his hero. From "Sachin, Sachin" the most popular refrain at grounds all over the country these days is "Dhoni, Dhoni." He commands the sort of popularity reserved for the superstars. People like his batting style, the towering sixes he hits and also the `inside out' fours off even good deliveries. Those strokes are his innovation, like the flicked six off a yorker at Goa.
He smiles. In an interview with the leading newspaper THE HINDU he said, "It was a natural. I played a lot of tennis ball cricket in Ranchi and we had to face a lot of yorkers. We use to play on 18-yard pitches and had to be ready for balls pitching in the blockhole. You have to create scoring opportunities."
Dhoni is a shy person — shy to the extent that often people misconstrue it as arrogance. "I can never be arrogant. It is not my nature. My problem is that I am a shy person. I know it is a problem. I can't say why. It is very hard but that is how I am.
"People sometimes think that I have become arrogant because of fame. But it is not true. I am shy of meeting new people. Once I know you then it becomes different. I understand that I need to interact and share my views with seniors, but it will take some time before I can change myself," says Dhoni.
Back home in Ranchi, he is the darling of the people. Why not? By rising from a background that had a poor cricket infrastructure, Dhoni has set an example for kids who dream of making it big from small towns across the country. "Frankly, I never thought I would play for India," he admits.
Dhoni Styles
