No one knows the real Dhoni: Gavaskar

From Dilip Vengsarkar to Rohit Sharma and a million cricket fans, MS Dhoni has been showered with accolades for his breathtaking knock that sealed the tri-series final for India in Port of Spain. Dhoni's exploits with the bat, bailing India out of seemingly difficult situations are not new but the alarming consistency with which he has won matches for his country has put the Indian captain head and shoulder above the rest. While Vengsarkar, former captain and chairman of selectors, called him the best ODI finisher ever, Dhoni's teammate Rohit Sharma said he wasn't surprised with what he did against Sri Lanka - the wicketkeeper batsman clobbered Shaminda Eranga for a six, four and a six to take the 15 runs the world champions needed to win the tri-series "I wasn't surprised at all. Dhoni has done that for us again and again," Rohit said after the match. Not just Vengsarkar but many others around the world believe that he is the best finisher in the game today. If India are on a sticky wicket, throw Dhoni into the mix and watch him work wonders. Former Australian southpaw Michael Bevan, comes close to Dhoni's class but a strike rate of 89.63 to Bevan's 66.42 in successful chases in ODIs steers the India captain clear of any competition from the past or present. Besides keeping wickets, winning India games from the jaws of defeats and maneuvering an inexperienced attack, Dhoni became the only captain last month to win all ICC events when he lay his hands on the Champions Trophy in England. The 32-year-old from Jharkhand has become an enigma and despite serious efforts, captains and bowlers have failed to decode his consistency at the death. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes no one knows the real Dhoni and hails him as the only cricketer who has bailed India out so often from tricky positions. "MS Dhoni was not even supposed to be fit for the final. There is no cricketer who has got India back from impossible situations so many times," wrote Gavaskar in his newspaper column on Saturday. "Perhaps even his closest buddies don't know him as well as they think they do," said Gavaskar, who then goes on to pay a rare tribute to a professional sportsperson. "If tomorrow he has to say goodbye to all the trappings of fame, Dhoni will calmly get on his motorbike and go away. He is that rarity who treats both those impostors - wins and losses - in the same way. He simply plays the game," wrote Gavaskar.