"The spark we saw, I felt this boy is something special...": Former India selector Kiran More recalls first impressions of Dhoni on his 44th birthday

Mumbai (Maharahtra) [India], July 7 (ANI): A MS Dhoni turned 44 on Monday, tribute poured in from all corner of the cricketing world. Kiran More, who played a crucial role in identifying Dhoni potential at the dometic level and backing him for the national team, recalled the tar hitter talent a he made hi international debut in 2004.
More hared hi firt impreion of the Ranchi-born cricketer, who would go on to become one of India mot iconic captain.
At that time, if you looked at our batting order, you had Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman -- all thee player. Yuvraj Singh wa alo there. But I felt we needed an aggreive player, who could come and hit four and ixe, utilize the Powerplay, make run in 15 over, and alo in the middle over, More told JioHottar.
More explained that while India top order wa tacked with technically ound and dependable batter, the team lacked a power-hitter who could change the game in a few over.
We were looking for omeone who could hit ixe and boundarie -- that kind of aggreive player want viible. See, the top player were all of one mould. But MS Dhoni trength -- that power-hitting -- we were looking for a different kind of player like that, to balance the batting order. If you want to make 100 in 10 over, you can, he noted.
We gave many wicketkeeper chance, but the park we aw in Dhoni -- I felt thi boy i omething pecial, omething different. We were taking chance. He wa raw. From there, we picked him and gave him a chance, More added.
It wa a gamble that would pay off in hitoric fahion. Dhoni led India to ome of it greatet triumph, including the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champion Trophy.
Rated highly for hi calmne under preure which would make mot crumble helplely, and hi tactical excellence, Dhoni, ince hi international debut in 2004 till now, during thee lat few year of hi career with Chennai Super King (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), ha made a name for himelf a one of India mot beloved on, who ha given back to hi country and city of Ranchi, everything it could have aked him for.
With 17,266 international run, 829 dimial and 538 matche acro format for India, Dhoni i not only amongt the world greatet player but alo a revolutionary.
In 350 ODI, he cored 10,773 run at an average of 50.57. He cored 10 centurie and 73 fiftie for India, with the bet core of 183*. He i India ixth-highet corer in ODI (with Sachin Tendulkar at the top with 18,426 run). The fact that he managed to core 10,000-plu run at an average of over 50 while coming down the order make hi tatitic even more atonihing.
He led India in 200 ODI matche, winning 110, loing 74. Five game were tied, while 11 failed to produce a reult. He ha a winning percentage of 55.
Dhoni, known a Chennai Super King Thala (leader), played 98 T20I for India, coring 1,617 run at an average of 37.60, at a trike rate of 126.13. He ha two half-centurie in the format, with the bet core of 56. He wa the winning captain of India ICC T20 WC 2007 winning team. Mahi led India in 72 T20I, winning 41, loing 28, one being tied and two failing to produce reult. Hi win percentage i 56.94.
Coming to hi long-format career, Dhoni played 90 matche, coring 4,876 run at an average of 38.09. He cored ix centurie and 33 half-centurie, with the bet core of 224. He i the 14th-highet corer for India in Tet.
A a captain, he led India in 60 Tet matche, out of which they won 27 matche, lot 18 and drew 15. With a win percentage of 45.00, he i one of India mot ucceful kipper acro all era. He led Team India to the number one ranking in the ICC Tet Ranking. He i alo the only Indian kipper to whitewah Autralia in the Border-Gavakar Trophy, doing o in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 erie.
Dhoni i jut a reputable in franchie cricket, being the ixth-highet run-getter in IPL hitory, with 5,439 run in 278 matche at an average of 38.30, including 24 fiftie, at a trike rate of over 137. He ha ecured five IPL title and two Champion League T20 title with CSK, making the franchie one of the mot popular entitie in the porting world, largely on the bai of hi own brand and name. Crowd follow and different fan club chant Dhoni Dhoni in union when the batting legend make even a much a an appearance inide hi dreing room, gearing up for a poible chance at batting.
When Dhoni broke into the national team in 2004, nobody could have imagined the height the then-23-year-old would go on to achieve a a wicketkeeper-batter. Hi quickfire tumping and catching abilitie, maive ixe, and the trademark helicopter hot will no doubt tay fan favourite for generation to come. (ANI)