‘It was always about more victories than more runs’ – Sreesanth’s eye-catching reply to Gautam Gambhir’s surprising remark on India great
Gautam Gambhir & S Sreesanth (Source: Twitter)
Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir recently surprised everyone by praising the 2011 World Cup-winning captain MS Dhoni. Gambhir, who was instrumental in India’s second triumph in the premier 50-over tournament, said Dhoni would have achieved many batting records if he had batted at a higher order for Team India. He also appreciated the wicketkeeper-batter for his immense contribution to Indian cricket.
“If MS Dhoni wasn’t the captain, he would’ve batted at No.3 throughout his career and scored more runs. He sacrificed his runs for the team and the trophies,” Gambhir told Star Sports. Although the cricketer-turned-politician, who always has an axe to grind against Dhoni, surprised everyone, former India pacer S Sreesanth gave a different angle to his remarks.
Sreesanth, who was also a part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team, believes that Dhoni always focused on how to get the best out of individuals in the team. The Kerala-born cricketer also praised Dhoni’s finishing prowess and mentality to keep the team above everything.
He didn’t sacrifice his batting position: Sreesanth
“Gautam Bhai said recently that Dhoni would have scored more runs had he batted at No.3. But for Dhoni, it was always about more victories than more runs. He always had the ability to finish games when the team needed him and he won two World Cups as well,” Sreesanth said.
“Credit should go to Dhoni, but he didn’t sacrifice his batting position. He worked a way to find out which players would do well for the team in which position and then slot them in those positions accordingly. His captaincy had the ability to bring the best out of his players. He has always thought about the team first,” he added.
Sreesanth was also part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 under the leadership of Dhoni. The Ranchi-born cricketer is the only captain to win all three major international trophies (2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy). The 42-year-old announced his retirement from the sport in August 2020 but continues to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Chennai Super Kings.
