‘He takes the pressure like no one else’ - Danny Morrison picks MS Dhoni as the best IPL skipper

Danny Morrison, the former New Zealand fast bowler, picked MS Dhoni as the best skipper in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni has a win percentage of 60.11, having guided his teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant, to 104 victories in 174 matches. In fact, the 38-year-old from Jharkhand is the only IPL skipper to have over a hundred triumphs.

It was only in 2017 when Dhoni wasn’t the skipper when he played for RPS under Steve Smith’s leadership. Morrison, who has had the privilege of commentating in the IPL, said that Dhoni knows the art of absorbing pressure, an art that segregates him from the rest. Morrison also lauded the veteran for his contributions for CSK and Team India over the years.

Morrison praises MS Dhoni

“Looking at the vibe and the inspiration of that fellow (MS Dhoni) in yellow and what he did for India in blue and that helicopter shot which changes the course of the game… yes he is a lot older and finishing up (and) Rohit’s got more time. But for me Dhoni takes the pressure like no one else,” Morrison was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

Under Dhoni, CSK has qualified for the playoffs every other time and only twice were they eliminated before the final. In 2010, 2011 and 2018, the Super Kings got their hands on the trophy. Last year, Dhoni’s men lost to the Mumbai Indians by one run in the final.

Speaking of the best IPL captain, Gautam Gambhir, the retired Indian batter, thinks otherwise. The southpaw picked Rohit Sharma, who has four championships to his name. Gambhir said that Rohit has more laurels waiting for him and will have a few more titles when he retires.

“I think it’s Rohit Sharma. He has won it four times. Captaincy is all about winning trophies. He will end up being the most successful IPL captain of all time as well. He has 4 already, he may finish at 6-7 maybe under his belt,” Gambhir said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected show. Rohit has led the Mumbai franchise to 60 triumphs in 104 matches with a win percentage of 58.65.