The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Dhoni is India’s macho man, says Rajput

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Thursday, Dec 27, 2007
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Dhoni is India’s macho man, says Rajput

Melbourne: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has emerged as a showstopper in India and manager Lalchand Rajput believes it is just a matter of time before the Australian people fall in love with the stylish wicketkeeper.

“I am 100 per cent sure the Australian public will love him by the end of the series. He is our flamboyant macho man with the bat, and has become a very crucial member of this side,” Rajput was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Rajput said Dhoni was India’s answer to the charismatic Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist.

“To have a person just like Gilchrist gives everyone great confidence. He can change the course of a game very quickly, and he gives the batsmen above him great confidence,” he said.

Rajput felt Dhoni’s meteoric rise internationally and his exceptional leadership in India’s World Twenty20 triumph have made him a big star.

“People feel they can relate to him, and they love the way he plays the game. Nobody thought it was possible to come from where he did and become captain of India. That kind of fame could have a bad effect on some people, but he is very mature about it,” Rajput said. — PTI

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