'We will return with the World Cup' - Sanjay Jagdale recalls MS Dhoni's first words after he was made the captain of the Indian side for 2007 World T20 tournament

MS Dhoni is one of the greatest captains that the game of cricket has ever seen. Hailed for his ability to keep his cool and think on his feet, Dhoni has led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, the 2011 fifty-over World Cup triumph as well as the 2013 Champions Trophy title as well.

And, former Indian selector Sanjay Jagdale has recounted the time when Dhoni was first named as the captain of the Indian side ahead of the 2007 T20 World Cup. Jagdale elaborated that Dhoni is a cool customer who can read the situation of the game well, and the 70-year-old also threw light into what transpired after Dhoni was named as the captain of the Indian side for the first time

“He is cool and reads the game very well, the situations, the opposition, and the conditions. Especially in Twenty20. I will never forget the 2007 World Cup in South Africa. I was in London as selector for the series against England. We picked a new team with Dhoni as captain.

“The first time he is named the captain, and he said: Sir, hum World Cup jeet ke ayenge (We will return with World Cup). I can never forget these words from him. He was not casual at all, he looked very confident about what he said. And India won the World Cup,” said Jagdale as quoted by News18.com.

MS Dhoni has an excellent rapport with Virat Kohli: Sanjay Jagdale

Sanjay Jagdale also revealed what former Indian Head Coach Greg Chappell thought about MS Dhoni. Chappell was of the opinion that Dhoni can become the future captain of the Indian cricket team. Jagdale revealed that Chappel’s words came true and Dhoni did lead the Indian side in the 2007 T20 World Cup when senior cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid withdrew from the tournament.

“Sanjay, he (Dhoni) is your future captain. And he did become the India captain with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly withdrawing from the Twenty20 World Cup. I will never forget this incident,” added Jagdale.

Sanjay Jagdale also added that MS Dhoni has developed an excellent rapport with current Indian skipper Virat Kohli, and concluded by stating that the 40-year-old will help the Indian side as the mentor during the T20 World Cup this year with the amount of knowledge that he possesses.

“But one thing I know is that Dhoni has excellent rapport with Virat (Kohli). Definitely. He will add something to the team with his experience and knowledge,” concluded Jagdale.