Be it the most popular YouTubers with millions of views on their videos, or veteran journalists across the world, an exclusive chat or an interview with former India captain MS Dhoni continues to remain a dream for them even more than three years post his retirement from international cricket.
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The habit of not carrying or using a mobile phone even during his years with the Indian team had made him largely unavailable even for his teammates. In fact, when former India batter VVS Laxman had called for a press conference to announce his retirement, he had remarked that he did try to get in touch with Dhoni, but couldn’t as his phone was unreachable.
Laxman’s statement had snowballed into a huge controversy, with people and the media blaming Dhoni for having played a role in the former’s retirement decision.
MS Dhoni Hadn’t Even Shared Phone Number With Ravi Shastri
Dhoni, who was the captain of the national team for years when former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri was the director of cricket and head coach between 2014-2021, has not even shared his phone number with the latter. While Dhoni had retired from international cricket in August 2020, he had even worked alongside Shastri in the capacity of a mentor during ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Despite it all, the private person that Dhoni is, has meant that not many of even his close acquaintances have his phone number. And Shastri happens to be one of them.
During an interaction with former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in January 2022, Shastri had revealed the very fact. Not that Dhoni had deliberately not shared his number with him, his personality is such that Shastri never went ahead to ask for it.
“If he can avoid having the phone in his hand, he will do it. Honestly, till today I don’t have his number. I never asked for it. I know he hardly has his phone. And if you have to get in touch with him, you know how to. I am saying he’s that kind of a person.”
Suresh Raina Had Informed MS Dhoni About Ziva’s Birth
Dhoni not carrying a mobile phone can be traced back to even seven years before the aforementioned statement by Shastri. Chennai Super Kings captain, who had relinquished Test captaincy during the tour of Australia in 2014/15, was blessed with a daughter a week before ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Unbelievably, the absence of a mobile phone had meant that his wife Sakshi Dhoni had no means to contact and inform him directly about the good news – the fact that he had become a father. Rather, the piece of information had reached his ears via his dear friend and teammate Suresh Raina. The fact was revealed by senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai in his book titled ‘Democracy XI: The Great Indian Cricket Story’.
As the popular anecdote goes, when asked during the media address whether he would fly back to India to see his daughter, Dhoni had replied in the negative while stating the there was nothing more important than a World Cup campaign.
“Not really. I have been blessed with a baby daughter. Mum and daughter both are good. But as of now, I am on national duties. So, I think everything else can wait. The World Cup is a very important campaign.”
It is worth of a mention that that India’s tour of Australia was a pretty long one which comprised a four-match Test series, an ODI triangular series featuring England, which was followed by the World Cup.
