To put it quite frankly, after Manoj Tiwary alleged ‘no pickup’ from no less a legend than MS Dhoni himself, another GT athlete took the liberty to expose the former skipper’s peculiar habits. GT’s spinner Sai Kishore then detailed the working styles of MS Dhoni and how those styles melt into the in-game mindset.
Conversely, this Dhoni method is quite obvious under the revitalisation of careers of those under his tutelage, wherein Sai Kishore makes an interesting case. Though he never actually got to play a match for CSK in his two seasons with them, the foundation laid down during his stay with the franchise has been instrumental in his successful transition to Gujarat Titans, where he has become one of the most trusted T20 spinners for India.
Sai Kishore sheds light on Dhoni’s ‘disengagement’ ideology
Gujarat Titans’ spinner recently revealed some insights about what valuable lessons he had learnt from MS Dhoni during his stint with CSK, the main focus being Dhoni’s conscious disengagement from the outside noise.
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“I have learnt a lot about this from MS Dhoni. He would never pick his phone. He used to leave his phone behind in the hotel room and just come for the games. That sort of detachment inspired me because I wondered if being engaged in social media needed to be. That was how he inspired me,” Kishore disclosed on Provoke TV.
CSK apprentice turns into Titans mainstay
Kishore’s career trajectory is that fitted to prove the Dhoni effect. Purchased by CSK for his base price of ₹ 20 lakh in 2020, he had been soaking up the culture of the team for two years without ever having played. His transfer to Gujarat Titans in 2022 for ₹3 crore was the start of his blossoming as a front-line bowler.
Since joining GT, Sai Kishore took 32 wickets in 25 matches and has carved a niche as a flexible spinner, quite comfortable bowling both in the powerplay and middle overs. Even in the era of Impact Player, wherein everything bends to zoom in on the batter, he manages to keep his economy at a respectable 8.85 while simultaneously remaining one of the more consistent wicket-taking options.
