Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden hailed thinks Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni an “era of cricket” and “almost like a leader of a nation”.
Hayden hailed the two-time World Cup winning skipper just leading to the Indian Premier League final between Dhoni’s CSK and Mumbai Indians with both teams eyeing a record fourth title.
“You know Dhoni, he is not just a player, he is an era of cricket,” Hayden said on Star Sports. “In many ways, I think MS is like the captain of the gully cricket team, he is one of us, he will do anything.”
The Australian added, “You see how he warms up, he bowls his leg spinners, he catches, he asks players and people around the squad on how they are doing and he is so relaxed, I think we can all relate to him because we all have busy lives working around with friends and families and that’s a big commitment.
“So, someone like that at the helm will make you feel calm, will make you feel relaxed and that’s why that word Thala – obviously meaning the leader of Chennai, but almost like [he is] a leader of a nation.”
The Australian played under the seasoned keeper-batsman at CSK. With an average of 103.5, the Chennai skipper is so far the leading run-scorer for his side after accumulating 414 runs from 11 innings in the IPL.
Dhoni’s side was second in the league points-table with nine wins from 14 games. CSK lost to Mumbai Indians in the first Qualifier at home but defeated Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the second qualifier to enter their eighth IPL final.
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