WATCH: How MS Dhoni Once Countered Bangladesh with Experience Gained from Railways Job in Kharagpur

From astute field placement to super effective bowling changes, Mahendra Singh Dhoni had, over the years, enthralled fans with his impeccable leadership prowess. But not many would know that Dhoni had once used a unique method to deal with the Bangladesh cricket team.

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Sharing a hilarious anecdote from his playing days, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter revealed how he had deciphered Bangladesh’s tactics once, thanks to his knowledge of the Bengali language.

“Kharagpur me mere railways ka job tha aur us samay Bengali meri bahut achhi thi. Ab bhi bolunga toh bhulbhal bolunga, kisko kya kharaab laag jayega [When I used to work at Kharagpur in Railways, my Bengali was very well. Now if I speak, I may make mistakes], but I can understand Bengali very well,” Dhoni said at an event.

“Interestingly, hum log Bangladesh mein match khel rahe the, toh mai batting kar raha tha. Unko nahi pata tha mujhe Bengali aati hai. Woh keeper udhar se chillake fast bowler ko bol raha tha kuch. Mujhe pehle pata tha woh kya daalne wala hai. Toh jab match khatam hua fir hum baat kar rahe the toh.. Ae Eta Bangali bujhte pare [Interestingly, once, we were playing a match in Bangladesh, and they didn’t know I understood Bengali. Their keeper was suggesting something to the bowler, so I already knew what he would bowl. So, once the match ended, they (Bangladeshi players) were talking among themselves and seeing my reaction, they were like He understands Bengali],” Dhoni recalled.

Needless to say, the hilarious incident left everyone, present at the event, in splits.

With three ICC trophies under his belt, MS Dhoni is one of the finest captains ever to lead the Indian cricket team. Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket in 2020. In international cricket, the 42-year-old was last seen in action in July 2019 during the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.

Dhoni is still part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise and had led his side to a record-equalling 5th Indian Premier League (IPL) title earlier this year.