‘I will play against Pakistan even without one leg’: When MS Dhoni led Team India with a broken back

A lot can change over a fortnight. Ahead of the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka a couple of weeks ago, chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had made an emphatic statement, saying that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is ‘not an automatic choice’ in the Indian cricket team anymore.

Cut to two weeks later, with Dhoni having guided Team India to victory in the second and third ODIs, Prasad had a different tale to tell.

Speaking at the sidelines of an event, Prasad was all praise for the legendary cricketer. He revealed that despite suffering from a severe back injury on the eve of a match against Pakistan at the Asia Cup, MSD went on to take the field against India’s arch-rivals the next day.

Recalling the incident, Prasad said, “While training at the gym late in the night, Dhoni picked up weights and suddenly there was a catch in his back and fell with the weight. Thankfully, the weight did not fall on him. He could not walk, he was literally crawling. He pressed the alarm bell, and the medical staff immediately came and attended him. He was taken on stretcher.

“As I reached Dhaka, the journalists questioned about Dhoni and I had no …read more