‘Self-belief is key’ – MS Dhoni shares why doubting yourself is a sign of weakness

New Delhi: Former India captain MS Dhoni has always been known for his unwavering self-belief. This quality helped him lead India to victory from challenging situations, taking matches to the final over. While experts often questioned his approach, Dhoni’s unique style of finishing games became his trademark.

In January 2013, former India captain MS Dhoni reflected on the highs and lows of his international career, discussing the significance of self-belief and how he handles criticism. Ahead of an ODI against England, he shared his thoughts with the media, as quoted by NDTV.com:

MS Dhoni emphasized the importance of self-belief, stating that questioning one’s abilities is a sign of weakness. He stressed that in both individual and team sports, it’s crucial to maintain confidence, as doubting oneself before others can lead to a loss of belief and performance.

When asked about dealing with criticism, especially given that Indian players often face it when they underperform, MS Dhoni shared his perspective. He explained that he never let external criticism affect his self-belief, focusing instead on maintaining his confidence and not letting the opinions of others impact his game.

“It is not something that’s new to us. As Indian cricketers, you know you are supposed to do well. The moment you don’t do well – as an individual or as a team – you know you’ll get a lot of criticism. But it’s the same when you do well, where you get a lot of appreciation.”

Dhoni is widely regarded as one of the greatest white-ball captains in cricket history. He is the only captain to have won all three ICC limited-overs titles. As a batter, the Ranchi-born legend scored 10,773 runs in 350 ODIs, averaging 50.57, with 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries.

MS Dhoni fans can watch him in action in IPL 2025

Although the former India captain retired from international cricket in 2020, he continues to entertain fans through his performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Leading up to the retention deadline for the 2025 season, there was some uncertainty regarding his availability.

In exciting news for Dhoni fans, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained him as an uncapped Indian player for ₹4 crore. This decision was made possible after the BCCI reinstated a rule stating that any Indian player who hasn’t played international cricket for five years and does not hold a central contract will be classified as an uncapped cricketer.