Dhoni, Djokovic both have rare quality to stay calm when it matters most’: Deepti Sharma

London, July 3 (IANS) Indian women’s cricket team all-rounder Deepti Sharma has drawn an interesting comparison between former India captain MS Dhoni and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, saying both sporting icons possess the rare ability to remain calm and composed in the most challenging situations.

Deepti, who is attending Wimbledon for the first time, shared her thoughts on how Dhoni, like Djokovic, handles pressure with calmness. “When you talk about Djokovic, everyone speaks about his mental strength. He is someone who never gives up, no matter how tough the situation is. In cricket, I think MS Dhoni sir is very similar. He is known for being very cool and calm. Whenever pressure situations come, he handles them really well. It never looks like he is in a difficult situation. He handles pressure so easily,” Deepti told Jio Hotstar.

“Both Djokovic and Dhoni have that rare quality of staying calm and strong when it matters the most. Watching them, we learn how to stay calm and find a way out of tough situations,” she added.

The Indian all-rounder also revealed that watching a Wimbledon match in person had been a bucket-list wish for years.

“My dream was that one day I would come to watch a Wimbledon match, and it feels really good to finally be here. When you go to watch a match at an iconic venue like this, and when you have always seen it on TV but today you are seeing it live for the first time, it feels amazing. The atmosphere, the crowd, the energy – everything is different. I am really enjoying watching tennis at Wimbledon. It just feels great,” she said.

Deepti also named Djokovic as the player she admires the most, praising the Serbian’s resilience and competitive spirit.

“My favourite is Djokovic. I follow his game very closely. The way he fights on the court, his mental strength, and his never-give-up attitude, I really admire all of that. Watching him play is always inspiring,” she said.

“I grew up watching greats like Federer and Nadal. I followed their matches closely for a long time. But lately, Djokovic has become my favourite. I follow his matches more than anyone else now,” Deepti said.

Asked whom she would like to accompany her for a day at Wimbledon, Deepti named three Indian cricket legends.

“I would choose three people to take with me: Sachin Tendulkar sir, Ravi Shastri sir, and Sunil Gavaskar sir. They are all legends in their own right, and I think watching tennis with them would be a great experience. They have so much knowledge about sports, and I would love to hear their thoughts and analysis while watching the matches,” she said.

Deepti is the second Indian cricketer to visit Wimbledon in two days. On Wednesday, former India opener Shikhar Dhawan made an appearance at the Centre Court at the All-England Club.

–IANS

sds/bc