For children: Five friends stage a play about former Indian men’s cricket team captain, MS Dhoni

(2003. Kharagpur. The main stage is divided into two unequal sections. The bigger side depicts a railway station. There are a few benches and a signboard bearing the station’s name. On the other side of the stage is a small, well-furnished room, which is the office of the Station Director. The Station Director is seated behind a desk. MS Dhoni, dressed in the uniform of a ticket collector, is seated opposite him.)

Station Director: So how is the cricket going, Mahendra?

MS Dhoni: It’s going well, sir, but I could improve my game further if only I could practice more.

Station Director: I’m sure that is the case, Mahendra, but I’m afraid it’s going to be difficult to give you more time off. I also have people to report to. I’ve done the maximum that I could do.

MS Dhoni: (with a grim expression) You are right, sir. I am grateful to you for what you have done. I should not have asked for more.

(Lights fade. When they come up again, the stage shifts fully to the railway station. MS Dhoni, still in his uniform, paces up and down the platform with a bag in his hand. The railway tracks are visible. At a nearby tea stall, a vendor is making tea as a couple of passengers stand sipping from their cups.)

MS Dhoni: (to himself) Father says that it is so difficult to get a government job, and I should not throw it away. It is indeed a job that thousands try very hard to get. The job itself is not something to be scoffed at. It is because of this job that I have been able to contribute to the family income, to even assist with my sister’s wedding. (He sighs deeply.) But, on the other hand, if I carry on working like this every day, my cricket will suffer. I will never be able to make it to the Indian cricket team which has been my dream for so long. It’s Friday morning and the train to Ranchi, my home town will leave in a few minutes. (Pause; then, with resolve.) I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to take the train. I’m going to submit my resignation to the railways. I have to take this choice.

(The sound of an approaching train fills the air. Moments later, a train pulls in along the platform. MS Dhoni picks up his bag and walks towards the train. A railway peon, who has been drinking tea at the stall, notices him and steps forward.)

Peon: Are you going somewhere, sir?

MS Dhoni: Yes, I am.

Peon: Where to, sir, if I may ask?

MS Dhoni: I have been summoned by the future.

Peon: (puzzled) By the future, sir?

MS Dhoni: By my future, to be more precise. (He takes out a letter from his coat pocket.) Could you please give this letter to the station director?

(The peon takes the letter and glances at it.)

Peon: (startled) Sir… Are you resigning?

MS Dhoni: Yes, my friend, I have no choice. As I said, cricket is calling me.

Peon: But you have not been selected for the India team as yet? How could you give up your job so easily?

MS Dhoni: The fact of the matter is that I cannot be selected as long as I work as a ticket collector. (A look of resolve settles over his face.) I have not been selected thus far, but I will be. The future beckons me. My future beckons me.

(A train whistle pierces the air, signalling its imminent departure.)

MS Dhoni: I must rush off. I know Father will be very upset with my decision – but it cannot be helped.

(Bag in hand, MS Dhoni walks towards the train as the peon watches open-mouthed.)

(We are back with THE CREATIVE FIVE. A corner of the stage lights up.)

Sonia: You know what impressed me the most about that scene?

Monica: What?

Sonia: You can make out that Dhoni had great respect for his father and his views. Dhoni did not take the decision to leave the railways lightly. Possibly he helped his family financially, and they needed that extra income.

Karim: I agree. He acted with a sense of great responsibility.

Milan: And that is also the reason why he made such a great captain.

Hari: Life taught him how to handle pressure.

Sonia: To work under pressure. Juggling a job with cricket practice meant doing both things under pressure.

Karim: He also took the right decision – to leave his job – while under great pressure.

Monica: Yes, that is why the railway peon was in such shock. (Pause.) After all, there was no guarantee at the time that he would make it to the cricket team.

Milan: There is no guarantee of success in a cricket match either. But if you are the captain, you have to learn to make careful, considered decisions.

Karim: And also, sometimes, to take risks.

Hari: What you could call a calculated risk, perhaps.

Sonia: Milan, what is the next scene we are going to do for Dhoni?

Milan: Winning the 2011 World Cup, of course.

Hari: But it’s going to be really difficult to stage.

Milan: That’s true. Hari is the one who designs our sets. What do you say, Hari? Can it be done? How would we deal with creating a stadium full of cheering fans, for instance?

Hari: (thoughtfully) It could be done. Monica is good with technology, and she could help with a video projection and a 3D screen. Karim, who generally handles the sound effects, could create the sound of a hum of excitement in the crowd.

Monica: That’s a great idea.

Sonia: How many cricketers will we show in the field?

Hari: We definitely cannot have 22 players.

Milan: That’s true. We could just focus a beam on the pitch and show the two batsmen. Maybe the bowler and the wicket keeper. Two or three players more, maximum.

Karim: Sonia could handle the lights.

Milan: Good idea. Sonia, could we just have the beam focused on the hypothetical pitch? (pause) You’ll also have to arrange for cricket costumes.

Sonia: That is very doable.

Milan: We can have a commentary going on in the background. Just the voiceover. We just show the two batsmen, the wicketkeeper and possibly a bowler. Okay, let’s rehearse and see how it goes.

Excerpted with permission from The Incredible Indians: The First Eleven, Rajesh Talwar, Ponytale Books.