‘You actually have more time than you think’ – Sam Billings discloses major takeaway from MS Dhoni [Exclusive]

In an exclusive interaction with CricTracker, Sam Billings shared the valuable advice he received from MS Dhoni while sharing the dressing room as part of Chennai Super Kings. Billings revealed that Dhoni always emphasised taking the game deep, soaking up pressure, and then putting the pressure back on the opposition.

He praised Dhoni’s exceptional skill level and noted that, as a batter, there is often more time than you think. During chases, Billings said, batters should take their time and let the bowlers feel the pressure, as bowlers often experience it more intensely than batters, a skill he described as crucial for success with the bat.

As a captain, Dhoni also advised Billings to ensure that bowlers feel confident and are clear about their plans. Billings added that he has always tried to implement this approach in his own leadership, emphasising positivity and clarity within the team.

Excerpt from the interview

You’ve shared a dressing room with MS Dhoni while playing for CSK. Did you receive any advice from him?

I think the biggest one and I think it also becomes more and more relevant now in cricket nowadays. Everyone’s so keen about strike rates and stats, but actually just all talks about taking the game deep, kind of being able to soak up that pressure, to then put the pressure. Obviously, he’s one of the best to ever do it and has a skill level that is far higher than most around the world.

But that’s definitely one thing I think you always realise as a batter, you actually have more time than you think. And certainly in chases, being able to just buy your time and then being able to put the pressure back on the bowler, they will feel the pressure far more than you as a batter. So it’s not always going to come off, but I definitely feel like that’s a huge skill with the bat.

And with captaincy, it’s just about trying to make the bowlers feel hugely positive and really clear about what they’re trying to do. So there are two things that I definitely picked up on and try to implement.