Australia great Matthew Hayden reflected on the aura of MS Dhoni and said that Dhoni’s stature is so big that he can even captain the Australian cricket team. Hayden highlighted Dhoni’s humble nature and said that he never believed himself to be bigger than the game.
Matthew Hayden Feels MS Dhoni Can Captain Australian Cricket Team (Source: BCCI/IPL)
MS Dhoni continues to rule the hearts of cricket fans despite being retired from international cricket for over four years. Dhoni achieved tremendous success as Indian captain and led the team to a win in the ICC T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and Champions Trophy – the only captain to do so. Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden reflected on MS Dhoni’s stature in world cricket and said his aura is so big that he can captain the Australian cricket team. Hayden, who played under Dhoni’s leadership for CSK, highlighted Dhoni’s down-to-earth nature and said that the former Indian captain never believed himself to be bigger than the game.
“Dhoni is exactly what I was saying before. He can easily sit in an Australian dressing room and easily captain it because he believes that he is not bigger than anyone else. He’ll collect bags, he’ll throw cricket balls. He’s just a very humble individual. And he works hard at the team and not on promoting MS Dhoni,” Hayden said in a conversation with Sports Vikatan.
Despite retiring from international cricket, Dhoni continued to play for CSK in IPL and led the team to wins in the 2021 and 2023 editions. Overall, CSK won five IPL titles under the leadership of MS Dhoni. He stepped down as captain ahead of IPL 2024, handing over the leadership reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Speculations are doing rounds that Dhoni might have played the last game for CSK, however, the fans are still optimistic that their beloved ‘Thala’ will surprise them again in IPL 2025.
“Coming from a small village and finding a way to the hearts of India and hearts of Chennai in particular. Thala will remain the iconic leader of this franchise forever. But to hear him saying how great he is… you don’t even hear from MS Dhoni. And that’s his charm. Team before anyone and everyone loves that,” mentioned Hayden.