Former West Indies and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stalwart Dwayne Bravo recalled an incident during the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) when then-skipper MS Dhoni trusted and valued his skillset as a bowler, referring to the Indian icon as a “brother from another mother”.
Bravo, who played for CSK from 2011-15 and then from 2018-22, winning three IPL titles with the franchise, shared this on the ‘Beard Before Wicket’ podcast. During the podcast, Bravo mentioned that Dhoni once stopped him from diving on the field, explaining that his “four overs were more important than saving four runs”.
Bravo recounted, “Then in 2018, when we came back after the ban, I dived for a ball while fielding at long-on. Obviously, I am older then, 34.
He called me into the ring, and after the over, as he walked past, he said to me, ‘Do not ever dive on my cricket field again. Your four overs are more important than saving four runs.’ When he said that, I was like, wow.”
Following Dhoni’s advice, Bravo started fielding in the circle. He explained, “After that, I started fielding in the circle. That is the kind of thing he does. He knows what you are good at, and he wants you for that reason. He does not want you to try to do anything or be anybody else. This is what I want from you, this is your job, and I’m happy with this.”
Bravo also shared another moment with Dhoni regarding field placements, “In my first over, he asked me about my field. I told him what I wanted, and he was like, ‘Oh no, maybe…’ I said, ‘No, no, it’s okay, this is what I want.’ I think after that moment, he never told me anything about field placement again. I felt that at that moment he trusted me, that this guy knows what he’s doing and knows what he’s about. From there on, we called each other brother from a different mother. He just allowed me to be me.”
MSD’s Captaincy Style
Bravo praised the leadership duo of Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming for allowing players to bring their own different styles and unique characters, and for enabling Bravo to be himself.
He stated, “They are not judgmental. Their moods do not change. Whether you perform today or do not perform, whether the team is performing well or not performing well, they are very consistent with how they treat you and how they treat players as a whole. So, I think that is the uniqueness of that franchise.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
