Sachin Tendulkar reveals reason behind recommending MS Dhoni for India's captaincy in 2007

Veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni made his international debut in December 2004 as a 23-year-old. Prior to the inaugural (2007) T20 World Cup in South Africa, the cricketer was handed over a high-profile job of captaining the Indian team. The decision to entrust faith on the then youngster apparently paid off as a young Indian side, without the services of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, lifted the coveted trophy in Johannesburg on September 24, 2007.

The win is highly considered as a significant moment of Indian sporting folklore as it paved the way for youngsters that took Indian cricket forward in the subsequent years.

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MS Dhoni birthday: Sachin Tendulkar talks about Indian captaincy for 2007 T20 World Cup

MS Dhoni turned 39 on Tuesday, July 7. To commemorate the MS Dhoni birthday occasion, here is a look back at the time when his ex-teammate Sachin Tendulkar, a former captain himself, revealed as to why he declined Team India's leadership in 2007 and recommended the name of the Ranchi-born cricketer instead.

Sachin Tendulkar interacted with Gaurav Kapur on his Oaktree Sports’ show Breakfast with Champions in May 2018. When asked about what leadership traits he saw in MS Dhoni during his early years, the batting icon said that he was impressed with the sharp cricketing brain of the wicketkeeper. Sachin Tendulkar cited an example by saying that whenever he was stationed at slips, next to MS Dhoni, he used to interact with the wicketkeeper about different field placements. Tendulkar said that during such interactions, he learned that the wicketkeeper “thinks differently” and was an ideal person to lead Team India in the future.

Interestingly, present Indian captain Virat Kohli also spoke in similar veins about his ‘friend’ MS Dhoni back in November 2017. He said that he never come across a “better cricketing brain” than that of his ex-skipper. Virat Kohli also said that he likes seeking on-field advice from the 2011 World Cup-winning captain.

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MS Dhoni birthday: Sachin Tendulkar talks about former Indian skipper, watch video

MS Dhoni birthday: MS Dhoni stats

The MS Dhoni stats place the cricketer among the all-time best wicketkeeper-batsmen in the world. The 39-year-old has played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is to score over 17,000 international runs across formats with 16 centuries and 108 half-centuries. MS Dhoni was equally effective behind the stumps and is currently third on the list (behind Mark Boucher and Adam Gilchrist) of wicketkeepers with most dismissals (829) in international cricket.

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Image credit: Sachin Tendulkar Twitter