'When the last over is going on..' - MS Dhoni's invaluable advice to young IPL star

Over the years, MS Dhoni has been an informal mentor to a lot of young Indian players part of the set-up. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper is regularly spotted being ears to promising youngsters and their queries after games in the Indian Premier League (IPL), giving his invaluable advice on how they can maximise their abilities. 

Often these discussions could propel an Indian team hopeful to greater heights in his career. One of the players that benefitted immensely from the Dhoni school of cricket learning during the just-concluded IPL 2023 was Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) middle-order aggressor Rinku Singh. 

The smashing left-hander was easily the biggest shining light for the two-time champions, who suffered another league-stage exit. Playing for a brittle and inconsistent team with multiple chinks, Singh emerged as a consistent performer with the bat, scoring 474 runs at a strike-rate of 149.53. 

The young turk did everything he can to keep KKR competitive at his end, showcasing his expanded range of strokeplay and impressive temperament in retaining his team's hopes till deep into games - a quality that MS Dhoni has come to be associated with. 

Rinku Singh reveals word of advice from MS Dhoni 

Speaking in an interview with 'Sports Hour', Rinku Singh said one of the giants of the game from whom he has learnt to elevate his overall game and range is the great MS Dhoni, who told him to focus on playing straighter in the end-overs phase. 

In a judicious tactical advice, Singh revealed, Dhoni said with lack of fielders behind the bowler's arm, if the left-hander can belt the ball straighter, he would be able to churn out more runs under pressure for himself and his team. 

"Mahi bhai is the best finisher, so I was asking him what the other ways to finish the game he told me, I was watching your batting, you batted well, he told me when the last over is going on, try to hit straight, let the bowler do what he wants to," he said. 

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Singh's brilliant IPL campaign has inspired calls for his immediate inclusion in India's senior T20I side, which is undergoing a transition phase. The batter could well be the selectors' pick when they sit down to discuss and identify the next T20I squad for the trip to West Indies in July-August.