A vital component of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Ramandeep Singh has gained recognition among fans of the IPL and Indian cricket. As an all-rounder, he excels as a spinner and a power-hitter, proving to be an asset for KKR on numerous occasions. Prior to joining KKR, Ramandeep played for the Mumbai Indians, making his IPL debut in 2022 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

During his time with Rohit, Ramandeep evolved into the player he is today, a transformation further enhanced by the coaching staff at KKR. Recently, in an appearance on Raj Shamani's YouTube podcast, Ramandeep discussed his experiences playing under Rohit, offering insights into his captaincy approach. He recounted an incident involving MS Dhoni, revealing how Rohit’s strategic mindset initially caught him off guard when he was just 24 years old.

'Rohit Sharma is a true leader'

"Rohit Sharma is a true leader," he stated. "I had confidence in my batting, but facing the crowd while bowling my first ball in the IPL was an entirely different experience, one I had never encountered before. You can’t predict what will happen; the batter might have a great day."

"When Rohit handed me the ball with Dhoni at the crease, he told me in our initial conversation, 'I want MS Dhoni to hit you.' At that moment, they had already lost seven wickets. If they manage to score off us, that’s fine, but if they get out trying to hit, we will secure the win. He reassured me that there was no issue. Only a captain can instill that sense of freedom and confidence within a team; that is the hallmark of true leadership."

Which MS Dhoni face-off is the former MI player talking about?

Ramandeep was discussing MI's five-wicket triumph over CSK in IPL 2022. This match, designated as Match 59 of the season, took place at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. At that point, CSK had lost eight wickets in their first innings, and Ramandeep was brought in to bowl during the 14th over, with Dhoni (24*) at the crease and CSK's score at 80/8. Maheesh Theekshana was positioned at the non-striker's end.

The legendary Indian cricketer finished his innings not out, scoring 36 runs off 33 balls, as CSK struggled to a total of 97 runs in 16 overs. MI successfully chased down the target, reaching 103/5 in 14.5 overs, thus avenging their earlier defeat to CSK by three wickets.

In this match, Ramandeep bowled only one over, starting with a length delivery outside off, which Dhoni deftly guided through the covers for a single. He then bowled a bouncer to Theekshana, which struck the tail-ender on the gloves. Following that, Ramandeep delivered a ball that had extra bounce, leading to Theekshana miscuing a shot that was caught by Rohit at cover. The next two deliveries were dot balls, after which Mukesh Choudhary edged Ramandeep for a boundary.

Ramandeep participated in the IPL 2025 season opener but did not make a significant impact this time. He ended up with an unbeaten score of 9 runs off 6 balls as KKR posted 174/8 in their 20 overs. He did not bowl during the run-chase, as RCB successfully chased down the target in just 16.2 overs, winning by seven wickets.

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