The ex-India speedster, S Sreesanth has remembered a funny moment of his career as a cricketer and it is none other than MS Dhoni. In one of the YouTube interviews with Padamjeet Sehrawat, he remembers that the wicket keeping great yelled at him when he had spent too much time in the field and did not take his position.
MS Dhoni and the “Girlfriend” Joke
Sreesanth remembered that Dhoni used to tease him and tell that he was watching the crowd to get dates instead of the game. Dhoni, in his usual funny manner, ribbed Sreesanth saying that he must be finding a girlfriend in each stadium that they would visit during tours.
“There were so many girlfriends in those days that he thought I would catch a girlfriend from every ground,” Sreesanth said, recalling the moment with a laugh.
The playful confession of Sreesanth showed the humorous quips that the Indian team had during its golden years and under the leadership of MS Dhoni. The friendship between the players did not end on the pitch as Dhoni was widely known to have a sharp sense of humor to lighten tense situations on the pitch.
MS Dhoni’s Faith in Sreesanth’s Potential
Sreesanth who was a key figure in the T20 World Cup 2007 and ODI World Cup 2011 victories of India also talked about how Dhoni believed in him. He disclosed that the captain had at one time told him that he had the talent to attain great heights in cricket.
“The one captain, the one friend who made me understand that my potential could have taken me high, but you could not understand your own potential,” Sreesanth admitted.
This is what he heard many years ago and he never forgot it. It was both encouraging and disappointing, which demonstrates that Dhoni can inspire the players as well as make them reflect upon the things they could have done differently.
The Iconic Matthew Hayden Celebration
Back to humor and then to nostalgia, Sreesanth recalled another fairytale episode, when he dismissed Matthew Hayden, in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup in 2007, against Australia. The wicket was very opportune time as India still had 189 runs to defend.
The giant Australian went in front of Sreesanth who clean bowled him and sent his stump flying. He then celebrated by slapping the pitch thrice- which became one of the most iconic images in that tournament.
Wrestling Inspiration Behind the Gesture
During an interview with Cheeky Singles on JioHotstar, Sreesanth said he was inspired by professional wrestling to celebrate like he did. “Many people do not know why I did that celebration. Matthew Hayden was a tall man and I had bowled him clean. That is why that celebration was straight out of wrestling, where the referee hits the floor thrice before declaring you out,” he explained.
To the fans, this story served one more attribute to the larger than life on-field character of Sreesanth, which was a combination of passion, drama and an unwavering love of the game. His stories keep fans of cricket amused many years after his retirement, especially those stories about the always entertaining MS Dhoni.
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