NEW DELHI – India’s MS Dhoni, a star of countless TV commercials, and Kumar Sangakkara, the well-heeled son of a Sri Lankan lawyer, will be at the heart of Saturday’s World Cup final action. For the first time in the history of tournament finals, the two captains are also the wicketkeepers. Sangakkara is relishing the challenge that his triple role as captain, batsman and keeper brings.
“Wicketkeepers, sometimes everyone says they are over-burdened and it’s not the easiest job. But it’s also the most fun, I think, when you are always involved,” he said. Dhoni’s job is the same as Sangakkara but his way of going about things is different. MSD, as he is popularly known, keeps his emotions in check despite the cauldron-like situation that faces his team due to the expectations of millions of cricket-crazy fans.
“Dhoni is a very fine captain and hasn’t been known to crack even in extreme situations,” says former Pakistan captain and current manager Intikhab Alam. “He lives up to his image of being composed throughout. He promotes himself when needed, which shows he’s positive. Sangakkara is the really thinking type and is comfortable leading from the front.”
Off the field too, Sangakkara is more articulate and eloquent, a trait inherited from his lawyer father who ensured that his son took time out from his busy cricket schedule to study law. The youngest of four siblings, Sangakkara showed early signs of leadership as head prefect at the prestigious Trinity College. Despite showing a talent for tennis, it was the college principal who advised his mother to encourage her son to pursue cricket.
Sangakkara was always tipped to succeed former skipper Mahela Jayawardene, thanks to his consistent form with the bat and ability behind the wickets. “I was impressed in the manner he admitted that he misread the pitch,” former Pakistan captain Imran Khan said after Dhoni told the media he was wrong in his assessment of Mohali wicket that hosted the India-Pakistan semi-final.
Unlike Sangakkara’s privileged upbringing, Dhoni, the son of a steel factory worker, clawed his way up from India’s backwaters, squeezing in a college degree amid his cricketing duties.
