There is an age-long theory known as the Butterfly Effect. This theory refers to the idea that seemingly trivial life events may sometimes result in something with much larger consequences. For former Indian captain MS Dhoni, the event was the day he had smashed a maiden ODI century, a breathtaking 148 against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam after then-captain Sourav Ganguly promoted him to No.3 in the batting order.
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Till day, Dhoni remembers the knock for giving him a cushion of 10 more matches in international cricket. Having played only four ODIs until then, Dhoni wasn’t a known figure in the pre-IPL world before the advent of social media.
Months Before Scoring 148 Vs Pakistan, MS Dhoni Wasn’t Recognized By Bat Owner’s Wife
As a result, Dhoni was largely an unknown figure among the general populace in India. Thus, no wonder Manju Kohli, wife of Somi Kohli, owner of the renowned cricket equipment brand BAS (Beat All Sports), failed to recognize him before he had made his India debut in December 2004.
However, right after scoring the aforementioned ton a few months later, he made it a point to call Somi the very night and confirm if his wife was still aware about his popularity or not!
“In 2004, I first met him [MS Dhoni] in Chandigarh, and months later, he came to Jalandhar to visit our factory. Dhoni stayed at my home, and when I told my wife Manju Kohli, she asked, ‘Who is he?’ The next day, when I met Dhoni, he told me that he could not sleep for hours thinking about my wife’s words.
“Some months later, when he scored the century against Pakistan, Dhoni called us at 11 in the night and asked me if he could talk to my wife. He told her, ‘Auntie, main Dhoni [Auntie, Dhoni speaking]’. My wife told him, ‘Beta [Son], now the whole world knows who Dhoni is’. That was the bond we shared,” revealed Somi during an interaction with The Indian Express after Dhoni had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020.
It is worth of a mention that it was Paramjeet Singh, owner of a sports goods shop in the heart of Ranchi, who had garnered Kohli’s attention pertaining the talent that Dhoni was during his early years of playing the sport in the city.
Paramjeet, endearingly named ‘Chotu bhaiya‘ by Dhoni, had continuously persisted Kohli for around six months to sponsor the wicket-keeper batter’s kit until it finally arrived in February 1998. No wonder, the contributions of both the individuals in Dhoni’s career have found enough screen time in his biopic titled ‘M. S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’ (2016).
MS Dhoni’s Popularity Mounted Up Post Visakhapatnam Century
Dhoni’s aforementioned knock during his fifth ODI comprised 15 fours and four sixes at a strike rate of 120.32. It was worth the money for cricket lovers who had witnessed him take the Pakistani bowlers to the cleaners during his two-and-a-half hours of stay at the crease. Thus, not only Manju Kohli, but the entire cricketing fraternity had their talks revolving around Dhoni post that match.
In fact, the particular scene has been beautifully depicted in his biopic as well. “Main kya? Aaj poore India ko tumhara naam pata chal gaya [Everyone in India knows your name now],” says Priyanka Jha (played by Disha Patani), Dhoni’s ex-girlfriend after he calls her from his hotel room that night.
Post the end of the series, Dhoni’s fans flocked at the Birsa Munda Airport in huge numbers to have his autograph or simply have a look at this young superstar from a small town. In fact, he had to roam around in the streets of Ranchi with his helmet on so that people wouldn’t mob him!
