‘Four overs matter more than four runs’ – MS Dhoni’s advice stunned Dwayne Bravo

Three years after retiring from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Dwayne Bravo’s impact on the tournament remains undeniable. Bravo, a modern-day IPL star, finished as one of the league’s finest all-rounders and remains the most successful bowler in CSK history, with 154 wickets in ten seasons. Even after retirement, he remained with the Chennai Super Kings as a coach until last year, when he left, bringing an end to a magnificent chapter.

While professional paths have evolved, Bravo’s personal friendship with MS Dhoni has remained largely unchanged. Their friendship extends much beyond captain and player, as it is based on instinctual understanding and mutual respect.

Dwayne Bravo frequently refers to Dhoni as a “brother from another mother,” describing a bond built on trust rather than extended chats.

One such moment occurred during CSK’s much-anticipated 2018 return after a two-year suspension. Bravo fielded at long on and executed a full-length dive to stop the ball, which seems ordinary given his athletic reputation. However, what happened next took him by surprise.

“Then in 2018, when we came back after the ban, I dived for a ball while fielding at long-on. Obviously, I’m older than 34. He called me into the ring, and after the over, as he walked past, he said to me, ‘Don’t ever dive on my cricket field again. Your four overs are more important than saving four runs.’ When he said that, I was like, Wow,’” Bravo revealed on the ‘Beard Before Wicket’ podcast.

“After that, I started fielding in the circle. That’s the kind of thing he does. He knows what you’re good at, and he wants you for that reason. He doesn’t want you to try to do anything or be anybody else. This is what I want from you, this is your job, and I’m happy with this,” Bravo added.

The trust, however, between them developed much earlier. Bravo recalled his first on-field interaction with Dhoni, one that instantly set the tone for their partnership.

“In my first over, he asked me about my field. I told him what I wanted, and he was like, ‘Oh no, maybe…’ I said, ‘No, no, it’s okay, this is what I want.’ I think after that moment, he never told me anything about field placement again,” Bravo recalled.

“I felt that at that moment he trusted me, that this guy knows what he’s doing and knows what he’s about. From then on, we called each other brother from a different mother. He just allowed me to be me.”