Mumbai, Feb 19 (IANS) Self-discipline was the cornerstone of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s life as a cricketer and the legendary India captain follows the same discipline after his retirement from the sport. It is this disciplined life that he would like to advocate to young cricketers.
Dhoni announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket in August 2020 after a stellar career which saw him win the ICC T20 World Cup in 2002, ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in 2011 and the 2013 Champions Trophy as well.
Dhoni, at an event on Wednesday, revealed his mentality from back when he was a player.
“You always need to figure out what is good for you. When I was playing, I made sure that cricket was a whole for me — nothing else mattered. What time I had to sleep? What time I had to get up? What impact it had on (my) cricket, that was the most important thing.
“You know, all the friendships, the fun, all those can happen later. There is a right time for everything and I felt if you are able to recognise that, that’s the best thing you can do (for yourself), For me as a cricketer, I always wanted to perform for the Indian cricket team because I’ve said that in the past also, that not everybody gets a chance to represent the country,”
“For us as cricketers, whenever we went on to the big stage or whenever we were touring, there was a chance for us to win laurels for the country and so for me it was the country that always came first,” said Dhoni at an event at which the mobile app ‘Dhoni’ was unveiled.
Despite having retired from international cricket, Dhoni still continues to wins the hearts of all cricket lovers in the Indian Premier League where he plays for the Chennai Super Kings.
When asked about his life post retirement, Dhoni said, “I’ve retired since 2019, so it will be quite some time. What I’ve been doing in the meantime is I just want to enjoy cricket for the last, whatever few years, you know, I will be able to play,”
He said cricket is still a part of his life but he wants to enjoy it as he used to to as a child.
“I want to enjoy it, how I did as a child when I was in school. When I lived in a colony, 4 o’clock (in the afternoon) was sports time, so we’ll go and play cricket more often than not. But if the weather doesn’t permit, we used to play football. I want to play with the same kind of innocence… (but it is) easier said than done,” he added.
On Wednesday, the former Indian skipper officially launched ‘DHONI’ , his new loyalty fan app, offering dedicated fans a unique window into his life. In addition to being rewarded for their loyalty through access to one of the world’s leading rewards ecosystems, fans will also be gaining an insider’s view of their idol’s world.
Developed in collaboration with Single.id, the cross-reward program identifier by Enigmatic Smile, ‘DHONI’ app users will gain access to the extensive benefits of Single.id’s growing retail network. These include rewards on purchases at partner brands across India, as well as the ability to redeem reward points, cash-back and gift cards from these brands.
The app also offers fans an unparalleled opportunity to get closer to their cricket idol. Registered users can enjoy exclusive access to never-before-seen videos, personal insights, and behind-the-scenes moments from Dhoni’s life.
“The DHONI app is designed to give you more value from your everyday spending. You can redeem rewards across categories ranging from travel & tourism, retail, to fashion and F&B outlets using Single.id technology. The DHONI app is all about more rewards, more savings, and more benefits. ‘Thoda aur’ – that’s what every fan of mine deserves and will get on this app,” said Dhoni.
–IANS
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