News Item in Daily News, 28 December 2017, with title “Lankan Players take cricket lessons from MS Dhoni”
Former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has not just grown as a player but as a person over the years. The respected cricketer is not just admired by his teammates but also his opponents for his distinctive ground play and game awareness.
Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Akila Dananjaya get valuable tips from Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni at the end of the third T20 international at Mumbai.
After losing the T20 series to the hosts on December 24, the Sri Lankan team was clouded with sadness and disappointment but instead of soaking in his team’s victory, Dhoni was seen imparting some of his well-connected knowledge about cricket with the rival squad.
The top-notch wicketkeeper and collected batting style have become the inspiration for many young cricketers including the Lankan players Upul Tharanga, Akila Dhananjaya and Sadeera Samarawickrama who could be seen taking in Dhoni’s kind words post-Sunday’s match.
While the visitor’s skipper Thisara Perera was being interviewed by Sanjay Manjrekar post losing the 3rd T20I at the Wankhede Stadium, his teammates were seeking guidance from the former Indian skipper. The recent viral video is a sight to behold with Dhoni mentoring the young professionals so naturally.