“Golden Template…”: Ex-Pakistan Captain On Why MS Dhoni Is A Notch Above Other Indian Greats

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif was full of praise for MS Dhoni after the  legendary India skipper completed 5,000 runs in the Indian Premier League. Despite not facing too many balls in the first two games of the season, Dhoni, who is no longer active in the international cicuit, has shown glimpses of his absolute best, playing handy cameos down the order. Speaking on his YouTube channel Caught Behind, Latif labelled Dhoni as the “greatest ever Indian captain and wicketkeeper-batter”.

“He has scored 5000 runs in IPL alone. Dhoni has always had a golden template. His history has been written with gold – for India, for world cricket. You and I can say whatever we like but it won’t make a difference. He is easily the greatest ever Indian captain, and also a wicketkeeper batter. There is no doubt there,” he added.

Latif further suggested that Dhoni is a notch above all the superstars Indian cricket has produced in its rich history, including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

“Look at the way he batted. He faced just 2-3 balls and showed what he has always been capable of. He is the most famous player. We have seen Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, even Virat Kohli. But Dhoni, and the way he conducts himself on the field and the following that he has, there is a different vibe and intensity to it altogether. Outstanding,” added Latif.

Arguably one of the best captains of all time, Dhoni had announced his retirement from international cricket in August 2020.