Dhoni 300: A reflection of his determination: Vishwanath

Bengaluru, August 31: Former India stumper Sadanand Vishwanath on Thursday (August 31) paid glowing tribute to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who completed his 300th one-day international against Sri Lanka at Colombo.

Vishwanath, who took the world by storm as a precocious talent in the mid 80s, said Dhoni's achievement was a reflection of his determination and focus.

"It has been a wonderful journey for a boy from Jharkhand. For a small town boy, playing 300th one-day match for India is a remarkable achievement. Of course, it is a matter of pride for all of us in the wicketkeeping tribe. It is the result of his determination and focus," Vishwanath told mykhel.com.

Vishwanath, who will don a new role as a match referee in the upcoming Karnataka Premier League (KPL) T20 tournament and hope to continue it at a much higher level after donning the umpire's hat from 1995, then went ahead to take a closer look at the career of Dhoni.

Dhoni the batsman

He is a bit unorthodox right from his stance to that helicopter shots. He started off in a blistering fashion. The hundred against Pakistan (148 off 123 balls at Visakhapatnam), his maiden ODI hundred too...he smashed the bowlers around the park. But as he progressed in international cricket, he adapted to various situations and did mind going into the shell, if so required. But his approach had its benefits as Dhoni won a lot of matches for India.

Dhoni the captain

He brought home three important trophies - ICC World T20 (2007), the 50-over World Cup (2011) and the Champions Trophy (2013). During the phase, India had become the number one Test side too. The way he sealed the World Cup with a huge six off Nuwan Kulasekhara of Sri Lanka at Wankhede will forever be one of the shiniest pictures in Indian cricket. He remained unbeaten in the final (91 off 79 balls). It shows his mental strength as a player and captain.

Dhoni the wicketkeeper

His core body strength is impressive. He works out quite a bit and that shows in the strength of his thighs and legs, keeping him nimble behind the stumps. Of course, he has swift hands too. He has that sinewy strength, like a martial art expert. Of course, he has his own ways as a wicketkeeper and you won't see him dive around much but his ways have worked for him. He kept on improving as a wicketkeeper.

The Dhoni memory

I got an opportunity to officiate in a match in which Dhoni played for Air India in domestic cricket. It was at the M Chinnaswmay stadium (Bengaluru) and much before he became the superstar. Even then his ability to hit huge shots was impressive and had a calm mind. When I had a chat with him after the match, I found him a very positive and levelheaded person for his age.

Take on Dhoni's future

Dhoni should be a part of the 2019 World Cup squad. He should be allowed to quit on his own terms because he has done so much for Indian cricket. A perfect role model and an inspirational story. Words cannot describe the greatness of the man.