Often have I been accused of showing my bias towards Mr.Mahendra Singh Dhoni.So many times have I found my inbox filled with messages with a curious query about my feelings for him.And sometime back an ilander even went to the extent of asking me that what is basically my relationship with him which makes me show my unnecessary favour towards him only to be backed by another sympathiser of this great ilander who said that I falsely associate my name with MS to shine as gold and get some undeserved publicity.
Well past is past,I may have forgotten all these ordeal which I had to undergo for nearly a month at the hands of a few so called respectable ilanders but still the way i was maliciously linked with Mr.Dhoni brings shivers down my spine.The wounds which were inflicted on my soul are still fresh and oozing and no matter what I won’t be able to forget them in a hurry.Yes it is true,in those times when team India had just lost the T20 world cup and these great ilanders were getting Mr.Dhoni’s dreams in their sleep giving explanation in his defence,I indeed supported him and why only him but the entire team.Becoz at that moment i felt that they were being literally crucified just because they had lost just one series though i can’t deny that it was the World Cup but still it was another series only.And a team which had till then only won matches for the country did not deserve such humiliation just because they lost a series.So I raised my voice against it.And in return I was asked about the details of my emotional attachment with him.
Now coming to the present context,we have seen that Team India has lost important matches in the past few months like anything the latest being the Champion’s Trophy in which they couldn’t even make it to the semis.Though Iam not that fortunate enough to have Mr.Dhoni appear in my dreams to defend the losses,but still through various media reports I came to know that Mr.Dhoni blamed the cricket board for the loss just because the board was selecting players on the basis of the IPL.I think Mr.Dhoni forgot to do his homework this time becoz had the case been so then he wouldn’t have been in the team as his performance in the last IPL series was just ordinary.
Besides with all these blame games over once again as India is gearing up for a fresh series against the mighty Aussies,the selection meeting reports just left me shocked.The media reported that Rahul Dravid was dropped from the team just becoz the captain did not want him in the team.Instead the captain argued with the selectors to get his closest friend RP Singh included in the team.So Rahul Dravid was dropped because he was not performing to the best and had barely managed to get some 180 runs in say 4 or 5 matches.But RP Singh had to be included because he is the captain’s best buddy and so what that he took only 4 wickets in 5 matches and gifted most of the sixes to the Pakistani batsmen in the crucial Indo Pak game.Anyways RP Singh was not included,at least in this matter the board showed its intelligence partly.But Viraat Kohli,what keeps him in the team?Well yes he was the highest scorer in India’s lone victorious match against the minnows team of West Indies at the Champion’s Trophy.But if that is the case then I may say Rahul Dravid was the highest scorer too in the match against Pakistan in which every other Indian batsmen performed dismally.So why the axe fell on him?The only reason for his ouster is bad form..or the captain’s dictatorship which forced the great bengal player Sourav Ganguly to retire prematurely?Iam sure Mr.Dhoni will be able to answer that better?
Morever it has been rightly said by a senior player that these youngsters have become so much money minded that no defeat saddens nor does any victory makes them happy.After being driven out of the Champion’s Trophy,the very next day bunch of Indian players like Viraat kohli,Suresh Raina and the likes are shown enjoying a shopping spree out there in South Africa.Besides when the coach had called for a practice session before the Australia match,all the big names preferred to stay back and it was attended by only one or two players like Rahul Dravid.So I think a player like Rahul Dravid who has 10,000 runs to his name in both forms of cricket is the only one who needs practice,rest all are too good to attend such sessions.
In short the pride to play for the country is missing somewhere.The winning habit has now been replaced by merely making money.Everybody is blaming the IPLs for ruining Indian cricket.but let me ask who was it that introduced the concept of IPLs,we didn’t after all!Iam a fan of Rahul Dravid definitely but more than that Iam a fan of cricket.I agree Rahul Dravid is no longer in the best of his form,he should have been removed from the team only to be replaced by someone capable.RP Singh or Viraat Kohli is not his replacement.And policies should be same for all,no relaxations should be made for captain’s friends.Its high time that Mr.Dhoni should concentrate on his game rather than off field politics and commercial shoots.I don’t have any problem if he is shooting for thousands of ads as long as he is winning matches for India.I also don’t have any problem if he fails to win always becoz defeat n victory go side by side in every sphere of life,but what is important is the pride.The pride of representing India should’nt dissolve ever.
Harbhajan Singh should concentrate on his game rather than quarrelling with any and everyone.And Sehwag n Yuvraaj should work on their fitness so that before a crux match they once again don’t injure themselves and return to the country to walk the ramp with Amrita Rao and the likes.Mr.Dhoni didnt stay back to receive his ICC awards because he didnt want to leave his team alone and stay behind for the awards,god knows which teammate was he giving company to when he decided to stay away from attending the Padmashree award!
Anyways I know this article of mine will once again break some hearts of the die hard Dhoni fans but still a truth is a truth and I have always learnt to stand for it all my life.Now my dear ilander friends you may begin sending me mails asking about my emotional attachment with Rahul Dravid.So for your convenience let me tell you that i have already written about it in one of my previous posts titled “A Gifted Relationship”,in case of doubt please refer to it.Besides this post was not in support of or against any cricketer,it was an attempt by me to find out whether the so called Gentleman’s game is actually so or not.Therefore I request all of you to drop in your comments either for or against the post,specially all those silent visitors who are too reluctant to leave their comments.And Iam no gold nor do I want to glitter by associating my name with Mr.Dhoni.If ever i’ll glitter Iam sure my own name is enough for that.
MSD is a brilliant cricketer and a brave man! He can”t be compared with any other. He has given an edge and class to what impression we had about Indian cricketers in the past. Without doubt, he is a STAR. Favourism, etc, in selection of cricketers has always happened, in every time. In this case if Rahul Dravid was dropped, it was good. Though Rahul D is my all time favourite cricketer. He should retire and allow younger generation to come take over. I dont know about Kohli much and I dont take Crirket so seriously. You have written a long post! Great… On your initial part of the post, I wish you had been more communicating when the controversy had happened. You should shrug off the rowdy comments. I had gone through a hate-campaign myself long time back and later on i learnt to cope up.. All the best, keep writing..
well i guess dhoni has listened ur words..he had performed amazingly making a captain knock ystrday..i always believed he has that potential..and yes..he has to keep away from other politics n shoots!!..harabhajan, he has to regain his confidence and form…nice post…also read and comment on my latest posts..
NIcely and nutrally written Deepika. Yeh once again Dhoni proved that why he is Captain in Nagpur match aginst Aussie………yuppieee
You have disabled email option and guestbook so the only way to communicate is comments page. Please take a look at the following post. I will await your take on this.
http://bensblog.rediffiland.com/blogs/2009/10/28/MY-INDIA.html
GENTLEMAN”S GAME??? I think, it is a game played by 22 fools and watched by billion fools.
very nicely written and very balanced article…..as for people commenting on your “relationships” with cricketrs give the guys food for thought by naming a new cricketer evey post
& think of it as a good turn you are doing to “empty minds” by giving them something to think about , wat say :))))))) ……..btw, deepika….ive posted a new blog…..do go through it wn you have time…..
HI deepika……….Nice post
yes my dear frnd Deepika……..very good morning………n my heartiest warm welcome for landing my iland…….n spraying such valuable n encourateous words to comment my post………..I read ur new post……….U r a great fan of cricket ……….i know……..but U will get dissapoint on knowing tht i didnt make any complaint ……but one thing …………stopped seeing Indian cricket team…………not even the page of sports in newpaper………….so as with ”Rajnithee”……….n its fellows……………U hav done a hard labour …….i appreciate ur writeup n expecially the feelings ……how u respect n get depressed with the game………..of those Indian players …….with whome India’’s prestige is attached……………dont take it otherwise……..do write n visit…………….thnx for sharing………keep it up dear……..tc
I read the post dear but as u know am not much interested in cricket so can”t express any valid point regarding the post content. U wrote it very well. Dhoni sab kuch accha he kare ye jarrori nahi hai. I respect ur opinion.
kash footboll ko bhi is desh me log pasand katre.
sorry didnt read this post……………..as i dnt find cricket interesting
A nice post.
Nice article on nice subject. Your views are perfectly alright.
wooo…………opps……………NICE……….
you are best …….. so post is also best
Well……pride is missing sumwer….the spirit of playin fr country is missing sumwer in the glam n glitz of IPL.Dey lost matches n as usual i din watch the match,so i cant say nethng in deir defence nor can i say nethng agnst dem.Bt i feel dat Indian crckt team is strng enuf to defeat othr teams includin aussies.U wrote really well abt all da prblms of Indian team,sarcasstic post indeed…$
as usually …………very nice posting
You”ve concluded rightly, Deepika. Most of our cricketers, including MS Dhoni, are more interested in money than in playing for the country. Since they get abundance of money from IPL, victory or defeat in ODIs don”t make a difference to them. As for Dhoni as captain, he was on a winning spree earlier - aur chadte sooraj ko sabhi namskaar karte hain — but as he’’s begin to lose, the glarding captaincy faults have come into focus.
I agree with you madam.
hey great post deepika! am also a fan of Rahul Dravid but more than that I am a fan of cricket! and truly said the pride of representing India should”nt dissolve ever!………. i fully agree with you for this post! gr8 job… keep it up!
Deepika,
The problem is that we Indians are very emotional about our cricket ( and cricketers). I realise that a team cannot win all the time and we have yet to learn to accept defeat with equanimity. However what hurts me ( and countless other fans) is that at times our team capitulates without putting up a fight and Dhoni seems distracted. ( You may refer to my post Cricket Limericks and Moe M’’s brilliant cartoon in it. ) All said and done I am still hopeful that our team will beat the hell out of Australia and all of us will be jumping with joy at the end of the series. As far as finding personal relationship between writers and the subject they write about is concerned, these delusions are products of immature minds and simply need to be ignored.
nice one but are they reading (those who matter!)?
Dhoni ki burai on the post of deepika…. what a “U” turn .. lol
…. bechara dhoni yeh post padhega to uske dil par kya beetegi …. jeeteji mar jaega woh bechaara shock ke maare 
….. jokes apart, i do agrees with your view point … indeed rahul dravid whom we all know as “great wall of indian cricket” certainly deserves the much better treatment than this …. the way he was included for champions trophy and then left out this time make the mockery of selection trial system we have …. one more thing which you could have included in your post is the sacking of fielding and bowling coaches in this manner…. lets see how things unfolds in the coming days …. however, as a die hard cricket fan i too have no other option except to wish “team india” good luck for the upcoming home series against australia 
nice post!i hope ki ab agle match mein india jeeth jaye.and i too like dhoni but just a little bit bcoz ranbir is my favourite.anyway i liked your post.thanks for sharing it!
very nice article ….very true too
nice one
Hats off to you dear,remember sometime back when u wrote the post Sticky wickets,I had told u that only u could have done so and once again today i tell u dear that if anyone could write such a post on this iland it could have been only u.And do not worry for the dhoni fans,if they like him they have to accept his faults,if they can”t then i can say they don”t like him,they just think they do.
I can sense that you have not overcome those old bad memories of iland, but I’ll advice you to move-on. As such i m not a cricket lover, but still I read your whole post, and the last paragraph is the best as it shows your belief in yourself….. That’s all which matters.
Dhiki , dhiki jwalchhilo je aagun , hoye gelo banhi sikhaa ………..Jatoi oraa baadha dik naa tomaai , jaabe naa to kichhu te i rokhaa ………..Sabaai sudhu bolte jaane , bhaalo basaa ta dekhlo naa to keu …….Saabas tomaai jaanai Deepi , sposto kathaai korle maat , ebaar ektaa uthbe e dheu.
really true, i agree with u……….whoever plays for the country should think about their responsibility twds the nation and hopes of billions associated with them….
hmm………Its a nice article and i like your love for Dhoni.