Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not just an exceptional cricketer but is one of the greatest sports personalities in the history of India’s rich sports culture. From being termed an accomplished leader, who holds an unrivalled position in world cricket, MS Dhoni is undeniably the most adored player of the present era. From people madly in love with his cricketing abilities to even opponents who are in awe of the kind of person he is on and off the field, MS Dhoni is an inspiration for billions.
The proficient right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has served as the captain of the Indian national cricket team from 2007 to 2017. During his tenure, the Indian cricket team achieved remarkable triumphs, including winning the inaugural ICC World Twenty20, which was held back in 2007.
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Some other notable trophies won by Team India under his leadership are the likes of ICC Test Championship Mace in 2009, consecutive triumphs in the Asia Cup in 2010 and 2016, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Everyone knows the biggest moments of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but his contribution to cricket wasn’t restricted to just records. The cricketer is also hailed as the inventor of the famous helicopter shot. Even before him, cricketers like Mohammad Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Abdul Razzaq, Kevin Petersen and Chamara Silva played an almost similar shot on a few occasions during their respective careers. But it is MS Dhoni, who gave the shot its name and fame, as he played the helicopter shot on more of a regular basis. Hence, the helicopter shot has become synonymous with Dhoni. The helicopter shot involves a skilful manoeuvre where the ball is struck with a flick of the wrist, utilizing the power of the bottom hand as the primary force.
When Mahendra Singh Dhoni was asked about his helicopter shot in multiple interviews and public interactions, he revealed that he did not invent it. Instead, the cricketer revealed that he had a friend named, Santosh Lal, who invented this shot and used to call it ‘Thappad shot’. On September 30, 2016, when the biographical drama, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story was released, Kranti Prakash Jha portrayed Santosh Lal's character on the big screen. In the film, it was revealed that Santosh used to teach Dhoni the ‘thappad shot’ in exchange for some singhadas (samosa).
Just like Dhoni, Santosh was also a cricketer, and there was a point in time when Dhoni used to admire him for his batting skills. As per reports, Dhoni and Santosh used to travel across the state in order to participate in matches. After years of struggle, while Santosh couldn’t keep up with cricket, due to his family responsibilities, Dhoni managed to struggle through the tough times and got into the Indian cricket team.
However, even after getting into the Indian team, Dhoni never left his friend, Santosh Lal behind, as he always used to meet him whenever he got the chance to go back to Ranchi. It was a true friendship that excelled even at times when they couldn’t meet for years.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has always prioritised cricket over everything else in his life. The cricketer has missed many memorable, important, and heartbreaking incidents that happened in his life due to cricket. One such incident is when his close friend, Santosh Lal was battling for his life. It was around 2013 when Santosh succumbed to pancreatitis. Despite getting treatment in a hospital, there was no major improvement in his health. When MS Dhoni was informed about his friend’s condition, the doting buddy arranged an air ambulance for Santosh. The cricketer had done all the necessary formalities to shift Santosh from Ranchi to a hospital in Delhi to give him the best treatment out there.
When Santosh Lal was taken inside the helicopter and was getting transferred to Delhi, the weather changed drastically. Due to this, the helicopter landed somewhere in Varanasi, which was on its route to Delhi. Unfortunately, when the helicopter landed in Varanasi to wait for the weather to improve, Santosh Lal Passed away. Yes! Dhoni’s close friend already had enough of his battle against pancreatitis.
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The heartbreaking news of Santosh Lal was a shocker for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as they were childhood friends. Despite arranging an air ambulance on time, MS Dhoni couldn’t save his friend from succumbing to death. Once in an interview with The Indian Express, Santosh Lal’s close friend, Nishant Dayal opened up about the bond that MS Dhoni and Santosh shared. Reflecting on how they used to work in railways and train together, Nishant admitted that Dhoni always admired Santosh as a cricketer. Opening up about the same, he said:
"He (Santosh Lal) and Dhoni would play tennis ball games endlessly. They both worked for Railways. Santosh was fearless as a batsman. Over the years, Dhoni may have patented the ‘helicopter shot’ but growing up, there was someone who was better at it. Dhoni always admired his batting style. And Santosh taught him to play the helicopter shot."
Well, we are glad that MS Dhoni did his best to try to save the life of his beloved friend, Santosh Lal. But as they say, ‘death is inevitable, living is optional’.
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