‘I Realised I Can’t Play Like Him’: MS Dhoni Names His Cricketing Role Model

Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have drawn curtains on his international career but keeping him away from the game is impossible. His craze among the fans is as fresh as ever and his presence in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) dressing room makes them one of the Indian Premier League (IPL) favourites.

After retiring from international cricket, IPL is the only tournament where he is found on the field. In the meantime, he endorses different brand and if not then promote the game in different parts of the country. On Monday, he inaugurated the Super Kings Academy at the MS Dhoni Global School in Hosur. It’s the first franchise-owned Super Kings Academy in India.

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During the event, Dhoni interacted with a lot of school kids who were already in the awe of the former Indian captain. One of the kids asked him about his role model while growing up. Dhoni said he admired and followed master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.

“My cricketing role model is always Sachin Tendulkar. I was exactly like you guys. We used to watch Sachin play and I want to play like him. Later on, I realised that I can’t play like him, but deep inside in my heart, I always wanted to play like him. So, he was a cricketing idol growing up," Dhoni said.

When asked about his favourite subject in school days, he said, “Does sports qualify as a subject?"

The CSK captain recalled his school life and said, “Always felt school was the period where once you have a strong character, it stays with you for a very long time and it actually defines you. Make the most of the time that you have right now. Make the most of all the infrastructure that is around you."

The Super Kings Academy in Hosur is a state-of-the-art facility with eight pitches which includes turf for practice and a turf-wicket ground for matches. Super Kings Academy, currently located in two centres – Chennai & Salem – will get underway in Hosur from January 2023.

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