Breaking down the essentials that set MS Dhoni apart: Ashwin explains why the legendary captain would be furious with him for his bowling

"What sets MS Dhoni apart as a captain? According to Ravichandran Ashwin, it's his mastery of the basics that truly makes him special. Dhoni saw Ashwin's raw talent and gave him the platform to shine during their time together at Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2010 season. From recognizing potential to maximizing it, Dhoni's ability to excel at the fundamentals sets him apart from all others."

Dhoni even used Ashwin inside the powerplay, and there were several occasions when the off-spinner bowled the first over of the game. Who can forget Ashwin dismissing Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Chris Gayle in the IPL final?

The 38-year-old Ashwin, who recently announced retirement from international cricket, spoke highly about Dhoni, revealing what really angers the Indian legend on the field.

"It's a very simple question to answer in my head. He does most basic things right, and most other captains miss the basic elementary things. It makes the game look much more difficult for them," Ashwin said while speaking to Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton on the Cricket Podcast.

"He would never, for example, if he gave the ball to the bowler, the first thing he would say, 'take your field and bowl to the field'. He hated that when a batter came to bat, and you would bowl a loose delivery," he added.

'People have forgotten the basics'

Ashwin, who has 765 international wickets to his name, said that over the years, people have forgotten the "basics" of the game. He also stated what prompts Dhoni to make a bowling change, and the revelation just gives another fresh insight into the mind of the man who won India the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 50-over World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy.

"He would never take me off the bowling if there were 2-3 boundaries if they were well earned. If I gave a batter a ball to cut or drive when he came out to bat, he would be livid. He would make me feel my place and take me off the bowling," said Ashwin.

"And that's a very basic essence of cricket, and over the years, I have realised that people have forgotten the basics. MS Dhoni keeps it very simple on those accounts," he added.

While speaking about Dhoni's genius and how his attitude helps the bowlers, Ashwin cited the wicketkeeper's full use of uncapped India pacer Tushar Deshpande in previous editions of the IPL.

"In last year's IPL, he has got Tushar Deshpande, and he got the best out of him, and people spoke about it. I know what exactly MS Dhoni would have told him, he would have told him, 'get hit on the longer side of the boundary, give me two less runs than the last game'. That does two things to the bowler, releases the pressure and makes him think how better can I get on small set of goals. He does basic things very well day in and day out, compared to the others," said Ashwin.

Ashwin was recently picked up by Chennai Super Kings, and he will once again don the yellow jersey in IPL 2025.

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