'Dhoni would just walk out. Smith couldn't do anything neither Fleming': Unique IPL story revealed

Former Rising Pune Supergiant (RPSG) player Dan Christian has recently shed light on a fascinating aspect of MS Dhoni's leadership during their time together at the franchise. Despite Australian batter Steve Smith holding the official captaincy reins and Stephen Fleming coaching, it was Dhoni who often took the lead on the field, displaying his natural instincts and unorthodox approach to the game.

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Dan Christian shares an interesting anecdote about MS Dhoni

In 2016, Dhoni joined RPSG as a wicketkeeper-batter and captain after Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) suspension from the IPL for two years. Smith was leading the team in its second year, but it was evident that Dhoni's influence was paramount. Christian recalled instances where Dhoni would be the de facto leader on the field, orchestrating field placements and making quick decisions without consulting the captain or coach.

"Smithy (Steve Smith) was captain but MS was you'd almost say he was like the leader of the team," Christian said in a recent interview. "MS would be standing up there and he'd, you know point at blokes and just move blokes here and there (setting field)."

Christian went on to describe Dhoni's spontaneous decision-making, highlighting how he would often surprise everyone by walking out to bat without any prior announcement. “In terms of the batting order, the best bit about MS was he'd just put his gear on and just walk out. Like he's playing U-10s. If we lost a wicket and maybe 12 overs in or 13 overs in or whatever and let's say, I don't know maybe Ben Stokes was due or myself or someone was due to go in next, Dhoni would just stand up and put his gear on and just go like that. He wouldn't tell anyone. And Smudge (Smith) wasn't going to do anything and neither was Stephen Fleming as the coach. You just let him go out there and get the job done,” Christian added.

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Steve Smith's leadership qualities came to the fore in 2017 when he was officially appointed as RPSG's captain. Under his captaincy, the team reached the IPL final, albeit losing to Mumbai Indians. After his stint with RPSG, Dhoni eventually returned to CSK in 2018, where he led the team to their third IPL title. CSK continued their success under Dhoni's leadership, winning the tournament again in 2021 and 2023, cementing their status as one of the most successful teams in IPL history.