Ravichandran Ashwin emphasized the qualities that set the legendary MS Dhoni apart as a captain. Dhoni, often hailed as one of the greatest captains in cricket history, retired after securing every major trophy available to him. In 2007, he led a young Indian team to victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup, and four years later, he became the first captain to guide India to an ODI World Cup title since Kapil Dev's team in 1983.
In 2013, despite significant challenges, Dhoni maintained his composure and led India to win the ICC Champions Trophy. As Ashwin prepares to reunite with Dhoni at Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2025, he highlighted that Dhoni's commitment to fundamental principles distinguishes him from other captains.
"It’s quite straightforward. In my view, he executes most of the basics correctly, while many other captains overlook these elementary aspects, complicating the game for themselves," Ashwin remarked on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast.
He illustrated how Dhoni allowed his bowlers to express themselves while upholding high standards. "He would never simply hand over the ball; instead, he would instruct the bowler to set their field and bowl accordingly. He despised it when a batter faced a loose delivery. If I conceded two or three boundaries in an over, he considered that well-earned," Ashwin explained.
"He would be furious if I offered a new batter an easy ball to hit. He made it clear that such mistakes were unacceptable. This reflects a fundamental principle of cricket that many have forgotten over time," Ashwin added.
In IPL 2023, Dhoni captained Chennai Super Kings to their fifth title, effectively utilizing Tushar Deshpande as a key bowler. Deshpande emerged as one of the top wicket-takers in the league with 21 wickets in 16 matches. Ashwin noted that Dhoni's straightforward approach significantly contributed to Deshpande's success.
"There are certain aspects of the game that remain constant, and MS Dhoni simplifies those elements. Last year in IPL, he got the best out of Tushar Deshpande by advising him to focus on getting hit on the longer side of the boundary and aiming for slightly fewer runs than he had allowed previously. This approach relieves pressure and allows bowlers to concentrate on manageable goals," Ashwin stated.
As a captain, Dhoni led India in 60 Test matches, achieving 27 wins, 18 losses, and 15 draws for a win percentage of 45%. He is recognized as one of India's most successful captains across all formats and has led India to the top of the ICC Test Rankings.
Dhoni is also notable for being the only Indian captain to achieve a whitewash against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy during both the 2010-11 and 2012-13 series.
In ODIs, which are often seen as Dhoni's strength, he captained India in 200 matches, securing victories in 110 matches with a win percentage of 55%. In T20Is, he led India in 74 matches and achieved 41 victories with a win percentage of 58.33%.