Rashid Latif recalls time when Pak teammate said MS Dhoni would surpass Sachin Tendulkar

Former Pakistan cricket captain Rashid Latif recently recalled the first time he heard about India's ex-captain MS Dhoni. Latif remembered his teammate Tanvir Ahmed's statement about Dhoni that has stuck with him all these years. Rashid Latif, who represented Pakistan in 37 Tests and 166 ODIs over his career, said that ex-Pakistani fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed told him 'Ye player Sachin ko bhula dega’. Basically, it means Dhoni will make people forget Sachin, in English. Latif also recalled his disbelief at this statement and remembered predicting that it wouldn't be possible. 

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Rashid Latif's high praise for MS Dhoni and comparison with Sachin Tendulkar

Dhoni is one of the few cricketers who has transcended boundaries and boasts a huge fanbase not just in India but across the subcontinent, in Paistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Cricketers from around the world paid their tributes after he unexpectedly announced his retirement from Team India colours on August 15, 2020. Among these were various Pakistani cricketers including ex-pacer Shoaib Akhtar and current Pakistan national captain Babar Azam. 

Speaking on the YouTube show 'Caught Behind', Rashid Latif opined that Sourav Ganguly was the one who gave MS Dhoni the mindset and leadership quality. He had heard that Dhoni was initially fond of football and was a goalkeeper. As a result, Latif had spoken to Tanveer Ahmed – who had gone to the tour of Kenya. Ahmed's prediction nearly proved to be true as Latif claimed that Dhoni is nearly equal to Tendulkar as a brand in India today.

Dhoni is now a lucrative ambassador for just about any commodity including sports drinks, building materials, appliances and many more. He even replaced Sachin Tendulkar as the ambassador for the popular drink Boost. In terms of career achievements, Dhoni is a legend. As a captain, Dhoni has had the distinction of winning all three major ICC trophies - the World Twenty20 in 2007, ICC World Cup in 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy in 2013.

On the show, Latif was all praises for Dhoni's hands-on mentoring of younger cricketers like Kohli by claiming that the CSK captain Dhoni took risks to take the team forward and tried to mould cricketers according to his character, giving them immense self-confidence.

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MS Dhoni at IPL 2020

Dhoni played his last international match against New Zealand at the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final where he was run-out by Martin Guptill for 50 runs. His wicket opened the floodgates and helped New Zealand clinch an 18-run win. Dhoni will now make a comeback on the field as the captain of the three-time IPL winning Chennai Super Kings side. CSK's first game at the IPL 2020 is scheduled for September 19 against Mumbai Indians. 

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Image Credits: PTI