Former India captain MS Dhoni, a two-time World Cup winner, said it was a little strange that social media and publicity were happening simultaneously.
In a recent conversation, Dhoni explained that his manager often suggested how to utilize social media for promotions and how to stay away from it.
“I was never a big fan of social media. I had a variety of managers throughout and they kept pushing me.
“When I started my career as a player in 2004, Twitter and Instagram became popular and my managers said I needed to promote it a bit. I tried many things, but the answer was the same. If you are good at cricket, you don’t need PR. “, Dhoni said in the latest episode of Eurogrip Tyres’ ‘Tread Talks’.
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“If I had something, I would always put it in. I won’t do it if I don’t have it. I take the stress away and don’t worry about who has how many followers or who is doing what. Because I know that if I take care of my cricket, everything else will take care of itself,” said the wicket-keeper-batsman, who made his international debut twice. Decades ago.
Dhoni, 43, who retired from international cricket in August 2020, is gearing up to play in the 18th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and admitted that maintaining peak fitness is not easy.
“I am not as healthy as I used to be. Now there’s a lot of work put into what you eat and you’re doing very specific things to make sure you’re fit for cricket. We are not fast bowlers so the requirements are not that strong.
“What has really helped me is playing a lot of sport in between eating and going to the gym. So whenever I have time, I like to play various sports such as tennis, badminton, and soccer. That’s the best way to get in touch with fitness,” he said.
However, Dhoni, who is considered one of the most successful Indian captains, confessed that he does not miss international cricket as he feels he has done his best to make his country proud.
“I thought I would have more time, but it’s a shame I don’t have much time. I don’t miss international cricket. Because I always believe in thinking about everything and making decisions.
“Once you make a decision, you don’t have to think about it. So I am very happy that by the grace of God all I have been able to do for my country.”
He said he also had fun off the field. “I’ve been able to spend a lot of time with my friends and do a lot more motorcycle riding rather than long distance rides, which is something very close to my heart.
“It was fun. Spend time with your family. Your daughter is asking when you will be back.”
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Dhoni led India to the top of the ICC Test rankings and remains the only captain in history to win all three ICC limited-overs titles – the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
He thanked his parents and close friends for his success in life. “My parents… had to make a lot of sacrifices, and I think the discipline I get now is thanks to them.
“I have always felt that friends are a very important part of who you are because it is they who can make a big difference. Parenting helps you choose the right ones,” he said.
Dhoni captained India in 200 ODIs in which India won 110, lost 74 and drew 5. In T20Is, he led India in 74 matches and led the team to 41 wins.
“First you have to distinguish what is controllable. If you start making things complicated, it becomes very difficult to understand. Just like in cricket, when people talk about what cricket is, they come up with different explanations.
“One of the best ways to play cricket for a batsman is to watch the ball and react to everything that is thrown at you.
“The things I can control in cricket are how well I practice, how well I eat, how healthy I am, how much sleep I get before a game, how much water I drink and how much information I try to get. “The opposition party,” he said.
(with input from PTI)
