Ranchi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, when in full flow, himself is a butcher with the bat for the opposition. But the India captain was all praise for stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag’s Herculean effort, against the West Indies, on Thursday. According to Dhoni, Sehwag is a “monster with the bat”. Sehwag recorded the highest ODI scored by a batsmen when he smashed 219 off 149 balls, in Indore.
“On a day when he is in his elements, Viru is a monster with the bat against any opposition. Only he could have done what he did yesterday (Thursday),” said Dhoni, on the sidelines of a ceremony to felicitate the medallists of the 34th National Games. “I want to say what others may have said… There are just a few who could score double century in ODIs… But I always believed that Viru could score 200 on his day. With Viru, it’s not just about big shots, but calculative batting,” Dhoni said.
The India skipper was glad that both the double centurions in one-dayers were Indians. “I am proud that both Viru and Sachinpaaji are Indians, and would not mind if they score double centuries again,” he said. He also added that he would some day want to hit a double himself, but is happy playing down the batting order at the moment. “…But right now, I’m cool playing down the order,” he said.
Dhoni also had some advice for the aspiring sportsmen. “There is no short cut to success... Don’t sit back quietly as your win puts more responsibility on your shoulders... So work hard to achieve more glory,” he said. The function was held at Morabadi’s Birsa Munda Football Stadium and Dhoni was accompanied by wife Sakshi. Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda, his cabinet members and other dignitaries were also present at the event.
Speaking about the occasion, Dhoni said: “Honestly, more than them (the medal winners), it is a special moment for me… I was waiting for this moment. I missed the action (National Games) in February. Dhoni had promised to attend the ceremony and was happy that he could keep his promise. “I had told you that I would come to the Games Village during the national games… And I kept my word. I fulfilled the promise to attend the ceremony,” Dhoni said.
For winners, the entire journey of the Games culminating in this star-studded evening with cash awards was no less memorable. “Better late than never. At a point I lost hope, but then I suddenly got a call from the sports department. The cash (Rs 1.5 lakh) can go a long way in alleviating my family’s poverty,” said an emotional Lakhan Hansda, who won team bronze in cycling.
Dhoni also urged the government to use the Games Village as a practice arena for different sports persons. “I would like to request the government to use the sports infrastructure for practice of players.” In his speech, the chief minister Munda said he had already asked the state sports department to use theGames Village for that purpose. © Newsbullet.in
The India skipper was glad that both the double centurions in one-dayers were Indians. “I am proud that both Viru and Sachinpaaji are Indians, and would not mind if they score double centuries again,” he said. He also added that he would some day want to hit a double himself, but is happy playing down the batting order at the moment. “…But right now, I’m cool playing down the order,” he said.
Dhoni also had some advice for the aspiring sportsmen. “There is no short cut to success... Don’t sit back quietly as your win puts more responsibility on your shoulders... So work hard to achieve more glory,” he said. The function was held at Morabadi’s Birsa Munda Football Stadium and Dhoni was accompanied by wife Sakshi. Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda, his cabinet members and other dignitaries were also present at the event.
Speaking about the occasion, Dhoni said: “Honestly, more than them (the medal winners), it is a special moment for me… I was waiting for this moment. I missed the action (National Games) in February. Dhoni had promised to attend the ceremony and was happy that he could keep his promise. “I had told you that I would come to the Games Village during the national games… And I kept my word. I fulfilled the promise to attend the ceremony,” Dhoni said.
For winners, the entire journey of the Games culminating in this star-studded evening with cash awards was no less memorable. “Better late than never. At a point I lost hope, but then I suddenly got a call from the sports department. The cash (Rs 1.5 lakh) can go a long way in alleviating my family’s poverty,” said an emotional Lakhan Hansda, who won team bronze in cycling.
Dhoni also urged the government to use the Games Village as a practice arena for different sports persons. “I would like to request the government to use the sports infrastructure for practice of players.” In his speech, the chief minister Munda said he had already asked the state sports department to use theGames Village for that purpose. © Newsbullet.in
