Unless support staff or players respect you, it is difficult to get that loyalty: MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is regarded as one of the most successful and respected leaders of world cricket. Not least because of the moniker Captain Cool, Dhoni earned respect in the dressing room - which is still recalled by most of his teammates and players who played under him. Speaking at an event on Friday, Dhoni revealed that it is difficult to get loyalty in the dressing room without the respect of your support staff and players.

“Loyalty has a lot to do with the respect factor. When you talk about the dressing room, unless the support staff or players respect you, it is difficult to get that loyalty. It is actually about what you are doing and not about what you are speaking. You may not actually speak anything, but your conduct can earn that respect,” Dhoni said at an event on Friday, reported PTI.

“I always felt that earning respect is important as it does not come with the chair or rank. It comes with your conduct. People are insecure at times. Sometimes, even if the team believes in you, you are actually the first person who will not believe in you. To sum it up, don’t try to command respect but earn it, as it is very organic. Once you have that loyalty then the performance too will follow,” he added.

Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings to the title in the 2023 IPL - his fifth as the skipper of the franchise - and is all set to return for the 2024 edition.