'He won titles with good and average squads': Tom Moody hails Dhoni's captaincy prowess

New Delhi: Former Australia cricketer and coach Tom Moody hailed M.S Dhoni's remarkable feat of leading teams to success, even with squads of varying calibres, saying that the Chennai Super Kings skipper won Indian Premier League (IPL) titles both with "good and average squads".

Under Dhoni's captaincy, CSK made it to the IPL playoffs twelve times in fourteen seasons, which solidifies their status as a consistent challenger for the IPL trophy. With five titles each, the Dhoni-led side shares the record for most title victories in the tournament's history with the Mumbai Indians (MI).

Widely regarded as one of the most successful captains in cricket history, Dhoni's leadership prowess has garnered praise from peers and pundits alike.

Speaking exclusively to Star Sports on the ‘Star Sports Incredible 16 of IPL’, Moody highlighted Dhoni's knack for harnessing the potential of diverse talents, showcasing his adaptability and strategic acumen while picking the all-time greatest IPL squad and discussing selecting the best captain in league's history along with other cricketing legends like Mathew Hayden and Dale Steyn.

"It has to be M.S Dhoni for me, the reason being M.S Dhoni has won the title with very good squads and average squads, and that tells me a lot about the captain and how he can lead a variety of talent in a squad to success. Rohit Sharma has been a brilliant captain for MI but MI have always had the best squads or up there with the best squads in the IPL since its inception," Moody said.

Former South Africa fast bowler Steyn echoed the sentiments shared by many when he hailed Dhoni as the epitome of leadership excellence. With a laundry list of achievements including World Cup triumphs, IPL titles, and ICC Champions Trophy victories, Steyn emphasised Dhoni's ability to inspire and manage his team both on and off the field.

"It has to be M.S Dhoni. He has won everything: World Cup, IPL, ICC Champions Trophy. I think he's a leader of men, and you've got a bunch of men here that are all at the highest level of their game, and they need someone who has been there and done that and can manage them extremely well on and off the field, so I will have to go with MS Dhoni,” said Styen.

However, it wasn't just Dhoni's captaincy prowess that drew praise. Former Australia cricketer Hayden delved deeper, lauding Dhoni's potential as a coach. He pointed out Dhoni's unique ability to straddle roles as both player and manager, citing his calming influence and astute leadership style as invaluable assets in guiding teams to glory.

"I think it's an obvious choice, it's not a debate over here, it's going to be unanimous amongst the entire Indian community. Of course, Rohit Sharma, the Hitman, is such an incredible leader as well, so it's a tough choice, but I'm going to be bold and I'm going to pick Dhoni as a Captain and Coach as well. He started in 2008, Shane Warne was captain and coach, and he took the franchise, the double R's, to a title that year, and I just feel that M.S Dhoni can also be a coach," said Hayden.