NEW DELHI: When you talk about MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir, one of the most vivid memories that comes to mind is their remarkable 109-run partnership during the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
Both cricketing legends have engaged in numerous battles in the IPL, with Dhoni leading the Chennai Super Kings and Gambhir captaining the Kolkata Knight Riders.
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But in IPL 2024, there have been changes in the roles of both players.Dhoni passed on the captaincy of CSK to Ruturaj Gaikwad before the season, while Gambhir embraced the position of mentor for KKR.
Gambhir recently shared insights into his on-field rivalry with Dhoni during the IPL. As the former skipper of KKR, Gambhir, who led the team to two IPL titles, found himself in tactical battles against MS Dhoni, the five-time IPL-winning captain.
“I wanted to win. I am very clear in my mind. There are people, yes. Friends, mutual respect, everything is different. Everything will always remain, but then, when you are in the middle, I am captaining KKR, he is captaining CSK, and if you ask him, if he was here instead of me, he will also say the same answer, it’s about winning. I want to get back in a winning dressing room,” Gambhir said on Star Sports ahead of KKR’s clash with CSK.

“MS is probably the most successful captain India will ever have. I don’t think anyone can ever reach that level, winning three ICC trophies. People can win overseas, people can win as many Test matches, but it cannot get bigger than three ICC trophies,” he added.
Gambhir also heaped praise on Dhoni for his ability to finish off the game even if his team needed 20 runs in the last over. Gambhir highlighted the need for him to excel in every aspect to outperform Dhoni, as his demeanour on the field isn’t particularly aggressive.

“In the IPL, I enjoyed every bit of it because I knew that MS had that tactical mindset. He was very good tactically, knew how to control the spinners, knew how to set the field against the spinners, and probably would never give up as well. He batted at No. 6 or 7 and knew that till the time he is there, he can finish off the game, even if he needed 20 runs in one over,” Gambhir said.
“But, at the same time, I knew that I had the bowling attack to actually challenge anyone in CSK. So, tactically I could be better than him, probably had to be better than him in every fact to actually beat him because Dhoni is not that aggressive on the field, but always knew that he is not going to give up. To beat Chennai, until you have not scored the final run you have not won the match. There are some teams against whom if you even go close, they end up giving, but not Chennai,” he concluded.