"Biggest Thing That I Have Learnt...": South Africa Star On Playing With MS Dhoni In IPL 2022

Preparing for the upcoming T20I series against India, South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius on Monday said he would like to inculcate the legendary MS Dhoni's calmness and self-belief. The South African made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings this year after joining the franchise for a base price of Rs 50 lakh. Pretorius played has so far played just six matches, scoring 44 runs and claiming six wickets with best bowling figures of 2 for 30.

The limited opportunities notwithstanding, Pretorius said playing alongside Dhoni has been his biggest gain. "Playing my first IPL was a great experience. It was one of my bucket list items and that too to get the opportunity to play for CSK, one of the most successful franchises. I enjoyed every moment of it. You get a lot of responsibility as a player," the 33-year-old said.

"I really enjoyed playing under Dhoni as well and batting with him, seeing the brand value he has in India just shows how big he is and what he has done for the sport in this country. It was awesome being a part of that.

"The biggest thing that I have learnt from him is how calm he is at the crease, the way he takes the pressure off himself and tries to put it on to the bowler. He made me realise that at the death it's actually the bowlers who are under pressure. It was a fresh mindset and also he doesn't get too excited and is always optimistic.

"He believes he can do anything and I am going to try to bring his calmness and self-belief into my game," Pretorius added.

Asked about the series against India, Pretorius said it is a great opportunity for some South African players to cement their places in the national team ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia. It would also be great to know