According to Mohammad Kaif, a former Indian cricketer, Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have mastered the art of integrating technology with common sense in cricket.
Kaif, who played 125 ODIs and 13 Test matches for India, emphasized that while technology can provide valuable insights, it cannot account for the dynamic situations and pressures that arise during a match.
In such moments, he believes that common sense and mental fortitude become crucial, and Dhoni excels in this regard.
“Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have achieved a balance between utilizing technology and applying common sense in the game. The situations that arise during a match cannot be predicted by a computer. No matter how many meetings you have, on match day, it’s common sense that prevails under pressure. It’s your mental strength and capability that you use. Dhoni sahab se bada example koi nahi hoga (There’s no greater example than Mr Dhoni),” Kaif told 180 Not Out podcast, highlighting Dhoni’s unique ability to read the game and make decisions based on instinct, gut feeling, and experience.
“Dhoni as a leader, forget about his computer-like mind… in the last over, during the last ball, the bowler is under pressure. He views the game differently. He has instinct, gut feeling, experience, everything. He has tried everything. If you think you should hit a six on this ball, Dhoni will say to wait one more ball, maybe the bowler will deliver a bad one,” Kaif added.
However, not all cricketers share the same enthusiasm for embracing technology in the game. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen expressed his preference for a more free-spirited approach, stating that he is not a “tech guy” who wants to get too technical about the game.
“I actually think it gives players the opportunity that if they are of that mindset who want to tap into technology, then they can. I am not of that mindset, I am not that guy. I am not that tech guy who wants to just go out there and think.. Ok the ball is spinning that much and I need to do this. I am a free-spirited guy,” said Pietersen.
“I walk out to bat this evening, and I just go ‘ok what’s this wicket like?’ hit a couple of balls and if it’s there, it can go, I am feeling good. I’m not getting too technical about it, how I’m holding my bat, how I’m doing… you guys all know that I love my golf. There, you can be technical because you have to be technical. It’s a ball that’s standing still by itself and you have to make it play. Here, there are so many variations,” he added.