Dhoni asked us to accept the challenge and react to the situation: RP Singh

Former Indian pacer RP Singh played a majority of his career under MS Dhoni and was also one of those who had impressed quite a bit before the fire in his belly was put off by injuries and lack of pace. However, in light of his good friend MS Dhoni stepping down from the Indian captaincy in recent times, RP Singh stated to The Hindu.

He wrote that he simply had no clue on what switching on and switching off meant until it was explained to him. “I had no clue what switching on and switching off meant. Whatever be the result, he would ask us to accept the challenge and react to the situation to our best possible strength.”

“It was simple. MS would tell me that the ball that had been bowled was gone. “It was over. Now think about the next ball.” It was an important lesson.

“Learn to enjoy it than brood over a defeat. Learn from every game,” was his constant piece of advice to us.

He also went on to illustrate a story during the time of the inaugural edition of the World T20 in South Africa. “I remember the match against South Africa in the 2007 T20 World Cup. We all felt the pressure, but MS was calm. He just reminded me about the dot balls, the backup plans, how to analyze the batsman, his style, reach. It was so encouraging because as a wicketkeeper he best understood the movements of the batsman.”

“True he had a good team but then he was the best man to mold it into a champion team. He was technically sound with his cricket and the changes that he brought in the way we played was there for all to see,” he wrote.

He concluded by stating that there was clearly no bias in the dressing room whatsoever. “What I liked the most was that he did not shirk from responsibility. When we won, he loved to send the performer to meet the media because he wanted the right man to take the credit.

“When we lost, he went out to face the media. Yes, he was cool, controlled his emotions well, never panicked in any situation. He would accept defeat gracefully and celebrate the triumph silently,” he concluded.