The Man, The Leader MSD

THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL STORY IN INDIAN CRICKET IS THAT OF MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI.

Generations will remember Dhoni for hitting the spectacular winning six for India in the finals of the 50-over World Cup in 2011 against Sri Lanka, but it is the hope he has given to many aspiring cricketers across this nation that is his true legacy. Born in the lap of poverty and having battled against unimaginable adversities, Dhoni's rise from being just another small-town boy to captain of Team India is a case study in B-schools. With grit, guts and—matchless self-belief, Dhoni led India to an ICC World Twenty20, an ICC 50-over Cricket World Cup and an ICC Champions Trophy triumph, as well as the number one ranking in Tests. Although he's had his fair share of disappointments, for MSD, failure has been yet another motivation to work hard and succeed.

MSD: The Man, the Leader unveils Dhoni's struggles during , his growing-up years, analyses his career as a cricketer, and captain par excellence, and reveals his innate leadership abilities by speaking to luminaries from different walks of life including Harsh Goenka, Vineet Nayar and Dhanraj Pillay in a jargon-free, easy-to-read style. Replete with examples of Dhoni's strong personality and inspiring leadership,_and marking one decade of his entry into the Indian cricket team, MSD: The Man, the Leader will reinforce the belief Yes, I CAN.

HE WAS JUST an ordinary kid in Ranchi which, in the late 1990s, was a part of the state of Bihar. Like many other boys of his age, he went to school, got back home, had his lunch and rushed to MECON stadium nearby. He loved every form of outdoor sport but had been groomed to become the wicketkeeper-batsman of his school team. Soft-spoken, shy, serious about studies—though sports was what he lived for—he was called Mahi by his friends and neighbours.

Numerous success stories have demolished the cliched conviction that morning shows the day. But, few can match the unusually obscure circumstances in which Mahendra Singh Dhoni grew up—fighting and winning over those situations make him a megastar without a counterpart in the history of Indian cricket. Observers who had seen him playing during his schooldays say that the first glimpse of his talent and temperament was seen in the inter-school finals in 1997 between DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir (Dhoni's school) and Kendriya Vidyalaya from Hinoo, a locality in the city.

A promising wicketkeeper—batsman, who batted down the order, the then-sixteen-year-old Dhoni was a thin lad, who listened to his teachers and senior players without countering them. However, once out in the field with the bat, his personality underwent a transformation. Ruthlessly aggressive, he regularly sent the ball flying out of the ground with the mysterious power in his wrists and hands. On a good day, the young lad was capable of demoralizing the bowlers to surrender.