How IMOTGP Spent the International Break

With the international break upon us, you may be wondering what your humble blogger has been doing with very little meaningful football to watch. Well, although football is the world's greatest game, you should know that we here at the IMOTGP follow another sport in cricket - the world's most popular bat and ball game.

So we used the time off to head to the theater along with dozens of Indians to check out the movie that has become a worldwide phenomenon - M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story.  It's a film about the greatest athlete of the 21st century, M.S. Dhoni, and his rise from the state of Jharkhand to the captain of the Indian cricket team. Dhoni led us to the 2007 T20 World Cup title and the 2011 ODI World Cup title. In between, we also rose to No. 1 in the Test rankings. These were heady times for the world's most popular sports team. Let's face it, we defined greatness during those days.

Dhoni is severely underpaid for his status, however, as only the 23rd richest athlete in 2015 with a mere $31 million. That paltry sum only means that he has not fallen victim to the marketing machine of Western sports, choosing to stay true to his humble roots when he began as a ticket taker at a train station.

The official IMOTGP  verdict on the movie is that it is one of the greatest pieces of filmmaking this decade. It tells of the highs and lows of the world's greatest athlete, the tragedies and the triumphs, and it clocks in at just over three hours - slightly more than a riveting T20 match.You see how Dhoni grew up in a small town, how he rose to prominence, how he met the woman of his dreams by locking himself out of his hotel room and how he dropped three legendary players from the India team as captain. In short, you learn what makes Dhoni and India so great.

The most moving scene is when Dhoni's boss at the railroad station demonstrates how cricket is a metaphor for life when Dhoni wants to quit his job. The boss mentions how as a batsman you have to deal with different deliveries from the bowler by using different techniques at the crease - just like life throws you different challenges. After all, would you swing for the boundary on an inswinger or go for six on a doosra? I think we all know the answer to that.

We give this movie four stars. This football fan found it inspirational to see the leader of Indian cricket in all his glory. M.S Dhoni is a living legend and we can't wait for the sequel. Head to your local theater and watch this as soon as you can!