'I did my routine when MS Dhoni came to me and said...': Perera reminisces on unforgettable IPL moment with 'the world's best captain'

Despite retiring from international cricket after India’s 2019 World Cup semi-final exit, Dhoni continues to showcase his skills in the IPL, participating every year.

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He is 43-years-old already and will turn 44 on July 7, but hasn’t drawn the curtains on his IPL career yet. He is still playing for Chennai Super Kings, although he is not the skipper now, having handed over the duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad. During his captaincy, he led CSK to ten IPL finals, winning it on five occasions (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023). He also skippered CSK to two Champions League T20 trophies in 2010 and 2014.

Thisara Perera recalls special MS Dhoni IPL memory

Former Sri Lankan cricketer Thisara Perera, who played under Dhoni’s captaincy with both CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL, recently shared a story about the former India skipper. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he revealed how Dhoni’s cricket brain would function, and how he would advise him.

“Sometimes when I did forward defense, MS Dhoni would come and say 'TP, what are you doing? You are genuine power-hitter. Don't do this. Go for every ball.' Those kind of words really builds up the confidence of the youngsters. So that time I was 20 years old. For the cricket culture, it is very young. I loved to work with him,” he said.

Recalling a special incident, he continued, “I remember one incident. It was from a match for Rising Pune Supergiant. We lost four or five early wickets. When I came out, I was confused whether to bat aggressively or look for singles. So I did my routine forward defense. MS came to me and said, 'TP, what are you doing?' I said we have lost wickets. He said, 'Go for every ball'. End of the day, we were 60/5 and we finished with 190/7. I scored 40 and MS scored 80 or 90 something.”

Perera concluded by calling Dhoni the ‘best captain in the world’. “Personally, my best captain in the world. I played for Chennai Super Kings and Rising Pune Supergiant under him. He gave me lot of confidence as a power-hitter. He always trusted me,” he concluded.

Dhoni was retained by CSK as an uncapped player ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 season. The new season begins on March 22, with CSK’s opener scheduled for March 23 against Mumbai Indians.

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