Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Enigmatic former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has virtually ruled out stepping into the commentary box, calling the popular post-retirement role a “difficult” balancing act that demands sharp statistical recall — something he admits doesn’t come naturally to him.The 44-year-old, who led India to three ICC titles, has largely stayed away from public cricket discussions since retiring in 2020, with his on-field involvement now restricted to IPL appearances for Chennai Super Kings.
“Commentary is very difficult. I feel there is a very fine line between describing the game and in that process getting into a zone where you start criticising individuals who are playing the game. It’s a very thin line,” Dhoni told sports broadcaster Jatin Sapru during a YouTube interaction.“Often, you don’t even feel that what you are doing is may be borderline wrong. You would always like to be on the other side where you are describing the game. If you feel something is wrong you say it out.“But how to put it, that is also an art, how to politely put it forward where nobody feels targetted…If the team is losing there are reasons behind it, and you need to have the skill of describing those reasons without anybody feeling bad. That is the art of commentary,” he said.Beyond the nuances of commentary, Dhoni said his inability to memorise statistics also works against him.“I’m not good with stats…but there are a lot of people who are very good with stats. They know stats…If you ask me about my stats, I’ll be like hmmm and there are certain people who know stats about not just Indian cricket team or the Indian players but everyone throughout the era,” he said.Good listener but not good with phonesRenowned for his calm decision-making during his playing career, Dhoni was also asked whether he ever seeks advice on cricket or life. The wicketkeeper-batter said he rarely feels the need, crediting his tendency to listen more than speak.“I’m a very good listener. Yes I do speak with people who I’m comfortable with. But I’m more of a listener than a speaker. And if I don’t know about the topic I don’t speak much because I will be absorbing more if I’m listening,” he said.“I never feel that urge to contribute if I don’t know…being a good listener you don’t always have to look for advice…They keep floating around just with certain people who you are having a conversation with.“You need to have that intelligence to figure out what works the best for you,” he added.With a broad smile, Dhoni also confessed he still struggles with phone conversations.“I’m not good in that way of communicating. I like to sit across and speak to people. I’m not someone who’s very good over the phone because I can’t see a face. So, I’m a very awkward guy when it comes to speaking on the phone.“So that’s something I want to improve but I’m glad I haven’t improved,” he joked.“You know when initially mobile phones came it was for the benefit of the people who own the phone. Now your mobile phone is for my benefit,” he said.
