MS Dhoni has been lucky enough to share the field with some of the greatest names in Indian cricket history. Just think about it—he played with legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, and even future stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He’s been around big names like Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, and Yuvraj Singh too. The list goes on and on! So, it’s no surprise that when he was asked to name his dream cricket team without any limits on nationality or era, Dhoni chose only Indian players.
In a podcast chat with Raj Shamani, Dhoni started naming his picks but then paused to explain why he doesn’t usually do this. He said, “Yeah, I would stick to my Indian players.” He mentioned having Virender Sehwag to open the batting, followed by Sachin and Sourav Ganguly. He explained that if you could see all these players in their prime, it would be an amazing sight. “When you watch them, you’d think there’s nobody better,” Dhoni said. He acknowledged that cricket can be quite unpredictable, which makes it tough to narrow down your choices. After all, he’s grown up watching these players shine on the field.
He went on to share how much he loved watching all of them play and how they all contributed to India’s success in cricket. “When Yuvi was smashing those six sixes in an over, you just didn’t want to watch anyone else,” he said. Dhoni questioned why he should pick just a few players when he can simply enjoy the games of all these greats. They all played their part in making India proud and clinching so many trophies.
“So much of cricket back then wasn’t captured as well as it is now,” Dhoni added, mentioning that there’s a ton of performances from earlier generations he might not know about. But he surely remembers the top talents he witnessed. “When you see them at their peak, you’re just blown away,” he reflected.
After hanging up his boots from international cricket in 2020, Dhoni is now playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, still showcasing that love for the game and sharing a field with more aspiring cricketers. It’s clear that even in retirement, he’s deeply connected to the sport that gave him so much joy and success.
