Aakash Chopra reveals reason behind MS Dhoni being hesitant in using DRS initially

Former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni was not a fan of the Decision Review System (DRS) during its initial years, according to cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra. Chopra recently interacted with Pakistani broadcaster Sawera Pasha on her YouTube show Cricast. In the video, the popular commentator can be seen talking about why MS Dhoni was not a fan of the DRS and how the situation changed when Virat Kohli took over as Team India captain.

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‘MS Dhoni was convinced technology is not full-proof’ – Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra said that when India first used DRS in 2008 during the tour of Sri Lanka under the leadership of former cricketer Anil Kumble, the team endured “some really bad calls”. India lost the 3-match series 1-2 as many of the top batsmen in the team such as Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman failed miserably on the tour or were subject to poor umpiring decisions. 

By citing India’s poor application of technology and describing it as “a new thing” at the time, he said the team then decided to be against its use. Aakash Chopra also revealed that MS Dhoni was not a fan of the system for a long time because he was not convinced the technology to be “full-proof”. The commentator further said that the thinking of the captain matters a lot in the team, thus explaining why Team India rarely used DRS in its first few years.

On the other hand, Aakash Chopra actually claims to be a fan of DRS. According to him, if one does not embrace technology, then one can't improve it although he himself was not playing back then. With MS Dhoni’s dislike for the system, the situation in the Indian team changed ever since Virat Kohli was appointed as skipper. Aakash Chopra says that Virat Kohli is a huge fan of the system who wants to use it everywhere, be it an international match, Ranji match or an Indian Premier League (IPL) match.

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Aakash Chopra reveals difference between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli on DRS use, watch video

Interestingly, the DRS these days is often referred to as the ‘Dhoni Review System’ by cricket fans because of its accurate use by the wicketkeeper. Moreover, MS Dhoni is usually seen assisting his skipper Virat Kohli from behind the stumps by taking some crucial calls. Aakash Chopra believes that even though MS Dhoni was reluctant initially, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is an expert on using the system as he gets at least “9 out of his 10 calls” right.

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Image credits: Screenshot from BCCI.TV