Chennai Super Kings bowler Shreyas Gopal lavished praise on MS Dhoni for his ability to handle players, pressure and stardom. The Mangalore Dragons captain (in the Maharaja Trophy 2025) was bought for Rs 30 lakh by CSK in the IPL 2025 mega auction but warmed the bench throughout the tournament. Regardless of that, Gopal opined that it was a priceless experience to share the dressing room with the CSK stalwart and batted for the 43-year-old to extend his career in the IPL.
What Gopal learnt from Dhoni
Speaking to Sports Yaari, Gopal said that it was very hard to be Dhoni, noting that people often think it was an easy job. Some of the learnings that the Karnataka bowler got from the ex-CSK captain include handling a player, usage of a player tactically, captaincy, finishing matches among others.
“It’s very hard to be MS Dhoni; it’s extremely hard. People think that it’s very easy to be MS Dhoni. Mainly, it’s basically how to handle a player, how to put a player in a tournament, who to use for the specific over, tactically, there have been so many talks with him. And there’s no one better than him; everyone knows that. So, learning captaincy, learning how to finish matches, just learning how to, the way he deals with his stardom,” Gopal said.
Gopal also addressed Dhoni’s future in the IPL, noting that it would be better for cricket if the latter continues to play for an extended period. The CSK stalwart is yet to take a call on his future and has asked for at least a couple of months of time before he makes his decision.
“To play with Dhoni was a dream for many of us, billions of us maybe. So, I got that chance last year, and I would love to continue that for another few more years. The more he plays the game, the more it’s beneficial for cricket. And the discussions that we have with him in the dressing room, the inputs we get, it’s just priceless,” Gopal added.
