The former captain of India, MS Dhoni, has recently given an insight into his leadership style and his ability to deal with anger and his teammates during his captaincy. Despite the fact that fans tend to believe that he is very calm on the field, Dhoni admitted that he feels the same way inside as any other person.

According to him, reacting angrily in the heat of the moment rarely helps the situation. Instead, the focus should be on helping players learn from their mistakes.

In the interview with Curly Tales, Dhoni described that even though a player is bound to make errors in the cricket game, the manner in which a captain reacts to such errors is what counts. Dhoni opined that criticizing a player privately is much better than scolding them in front of others.

When Kamya Jani asked Dhoni how and when he reacts, Dhoni responded, “Dressing room.”

He pointed out that words and tone are important when conversing with a player, and more so when it is a live match that is being watched by millions.

Dhoni claimed that it can destroy the confidence of the player. He also emphasised that the long-term responsibility of a leader is to nurture players so that they will be in a position to continue the legacy of the team.

“Don’t enter my room with an answer”: Dhoni on communicating to player for dropping him

In yet another candid revelation of the interview, Dhoni made a confession that he never considered himself very receptive to communication when it came to making difficult decisions in his captaincy.

Dhoni opined that every cricketer who has played a considerable number of matches for India should know the reason for getting dropped from the team; however, he had a principle he had once used when teammates wanted to discuss with him about the reasons for getting dropped.

“There is only one request. Don’t enter my room with an answer already in your mind. You have the right to ask the question. Fair enough. I will try to answer it in the politest manner, with a reasonable tone and everything that can and should be done from my side. But keep an open mind so that I can explain why. And if you still don’t want to listen to me, then I can explain it in the harshest words possible as well, because you came in for an answer. I will give you that answer.”
— MS Dhoni on communicating with a player about being dropped from the team

Many Indian cricketers, like Harbhajan, Gambhir, and Yuvraj, have alleged over the years that Dhoni dropped them from the team without proper communication. Over the years, we have known many players’ statements that Dhoni’s hotel room would always be open for anyone to come and discuss with him, making him approachable.

His leadership style was also what turned out to be one of the hallmarks of Dhoni over the years. His calmness in difficult situations led him to the historic wins of India, such as the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.