Cricketing AI Technology, ft. “Mahi Way”

Don’t interpret it faultily or juggle in any mayhem as to what relates the trending delinquent Artificial Intelligence with the former Indian and Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as both have subsequently vast differentiations. One may argue that AI technology is highly knowledgeable and contains a strong amount of information, and to contrast MS Dhoni is a human and works pretty accordingly to it.

But to debate, it can be stated evidently that Dhoni is far more intelligent than the artificial bot itself as the on-field heroics and pyrotechnics that Mahi stages are commendable and imbibe a sense of ostensible feeling in every individual that what he has for the next one standing. 

Just to summarize what he did to Delhi Capitals' top order in their last encounter at their “Anbuden Chepauk.” The top order consisted of fireworks in Warner, Salt, Mitch Marsh, and Rossouw who had come top-notched in their previous battle against RCB, humbling them convincingly. However, coming onto the yellow fortress was never an easy task but it was the national capital’s bowling unit that let them roar on a sluggish Chidambaram pitch.

The chase was well above moderate one as they (DC’s camp) knew the man behind the stumps is the master of all jacks which are to be operated behind the stadium doors. As was duly observed, the master did master in the second ball itself with explosive Warner succumbing to the tactical brilliance of Dhoni. Short outside off-stump, what Warner can do was only hand Rahane a sitter at short midwicket. 

It wasn’t limited to here only, the disaster sustained with Phil Salt too misjudging a short one to Rayudu. Deepak Chahar may be the potter in both cases but the art which was posed was all MS Dhoni’s set-up. It could be analyzed that even after two brilliant scalps, Chahar was getting separate tuition from Mahi.

This is the method, on which Mahi-way usually works. For him, going for runs is fine but doing it without nurturing his plan is not so acceptable work as the execution of the planning is the by-product but not implementing the plan is the worst a player can do on the field.

This was not the only instance where you can see Mahi guiding the bowler. There are many occasions where bowlers blindly follow his instructions as the command and knowledge that possesses for every situation is highly respected. The rise of Kul-Cha (Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal) was well accommodated by Dhoni behind the stumps.

The commentary of Mahi behind the stumps during their spell is like a cricket book in itself. The light, path, and stage he showed to his youngsters were a testament to his caliber and the awareness he had all over the game. Just to remind you, this golden scheme works even for his opponents as they are his other counterparts not enemies. 

As has been the case for the past couple of years or so, after each game, every other player from the next dressing room catches up with the Legend for some words and to learn from him and receive medicine for any grievance they have related to on-field play. So, it’s like plucking every bit of sense he engraves in himself.

From the very first years of his extravaganza journey of cricket, Mahi had shown some onslaught display of batting as well as reading the game and that fused in his way as Master Blaster himself suggested the young long-haired Mahi for captaincy in the first ever T20 world cup in South Africa and the result that he showed to the world was a history. Giving Joginder Sharma a final run in the crunch situation was one of the examples he had set in his captaincy days.

And then, the immortal moment, that came along in his journey was of becoming the World Champion, giving India the most coveted trophy in world cricket, and that too by leading from the front, jostling an unbeaten 91 that included a winning six. In his 4 years of captaincy stint, he had 2 World Cup trophies, 1 test mace which includes the series win in New Zealand, the Commonwealth Bank series cup, and many more accomplishments which were yet nearly impossible to replicate.

And then, the final frontier, the Champions Trophy in 2013, this time with the emergence of new-gen players in Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Jadeja, and many others who got the wings to fly on under Mahi’s leadership stint. The tactical brilliance in that match was fundamental to crowning the 3^rd and all ICC trophies for Mahi, a feat which has been achieved by him to date. Bringing Ishant against Morgan paved the way for a stellar comeback and then the hosts succumbed to the masterstrokes of MS.

Not only that, the 4 IPL trophies and 2 Champions League triumphs are also a testament to his AI technology on the field and his understanding of the nature of the game. CSK has reached the finals most times in IPL history with record 9 times, it also gives an idea that “Captain Cool” was made for dictating the terms only.

Now, as all the wonders, footprints, and presence is coming to the final stages of his career, Dhoni is putting in a nut-shell a full-fledged story of a boy from Jharkhand, who had aspired of playing football at the highest level, but fate had other plans for him and he started to grow his stature in cricket and then eventually this 19 years long career comprising of innumerable achievements and memories coming down to the last junction.

Though, everyone around the world is ready for his decisive words, in the inner soul, all know they aren’t ready yet for hearing that word and probably that heart-touching melody that whispered around the globe on 15 August, 3 years back. Mahi is not someone just “pal do pal ka shayar” nor has “pal do pal meri kahani hai”, he carries the nation over his shoulders, and still is the only word that people utter whenever India plunges into a difficult situation, “Mahi hota to sambhal leta.” 

Cricketing AI technology is soon going to leave behind all the moves, masterstrokes, and strategies but Cricket will always be grateful to him, for his impact on this beautiful game, for reaching the pinnacle of this game, driving the game, and most importantly teaching the art of leading from the front.

“Dhoni Kahi Nahi Gaya Hai, Wo Idhar Hi Hai, or Hamesha Rahega……...” [07]