Navjot Singh Sidhu Exclusive: Return to commentary, MS Dhoni miracle and more

"Commentary is a blessing," says Navjot Singh Sidhu. "It's my identity, it runs in my blood," he adds as he prepares to return to the commentary box for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, which gets underway with a blockbuster opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai. Navjot Singh Sidhu, a flamboyant batter in his heyday, was part of the IPL nostalgia as he enthralled fans with his one-liners from the comm box, playing his bit in making the T20 league a household name across India. After a long hiatus, 'Sixer Sidhu' will be back in front of the microphone, this time as a Hindi commentator for Star Sports, the official television broadcaster of IPL 2024.

Speaking exclusively to IndiaToday.in ahead of a much-awaited return, Navjot Singh Sidhu recalled how a tedious daily routine during his childhood helped him during his early stint as a commentator.

Commentary must be like "two young friends, sitting in their bedroom and chatting away to glory", Sidhu says, shedding light on what separates the best from the rest when it comes to calling the game.

Also, Navjot Singh Sidhu speaks about the 'miraculous' MS Dhoni longevity and how 'wise man' Rohit Sharma would be a guiding light to newly-appointed Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya.

Sidhu, in his inimitable style, doffs his hat to Rishabh Pant's resilience and why he wants the wicketkeeper-batter to dominate opposition bowlers and instil fear in their minds, once again.

Excerpts from the exclusive interview.

Question: How excited are you to return to the commentary box?

Navjot Singh Sidhu: Look, commentary runs in my blood. It's my identity. Like the great Guru gave us our turban. I am recognised by my turban. I am very fortunate guy that my hobby is my profession. You will have people who wanted to be cricketers, they are doctors now. You will have people who wanted to play a game and today, they are running a business. It's very few who will get to do what they have enjoyed the most. If you undertake something that is a cup of joy, time flies. You're blessed. For me, commentary is a blessing, it's a boon. It's going to be my home ground, I am very comfortable doing commentary.

Question: Do you have to prepare for commentary? What makes a good commentator stand out from the rest?

Sidhu: When you play cricket, it's physical. There is endurance, a particular diet and a lot more that you have to combine to become a good cricketer. But, commentary is all about mental strength, spontaneity and control over the language. I am very fortunate that my father, after waking up at 4:30 or 5 am, he would give me three newspapers. The Tribune, one in Hindi, Punjab Kesari, and another one in Punjabi.

I was supposed to read all the newspapers and give the headlines. When I came back from school, I got tired of seeing their facesâ€æ One was Manjari Joshi, there was Salma Sultan and Tejeshwar Singh. Those who are my age would relate to them, I had to listen to the news. Half-an-hour English, half-an-hour Hindi and then a bit of Urdu. At that time, I would be so fed up seeing those faces, and my father would make me sit and listen to the news.

Later, when I took up commentary, I realised it was so easy for me because I was not thinking words. They were coming naturally to me. It was just that I was focusing on what was happening over there, and my thoughts were the real interpreters of positivity and action.

So, once you have wonderful thoughts, control over the language and you relax as if two young friends are sitting in their bedroom, chatting away to glory, talking and laughing, having a good time and the whole world is a peeping Tom, you have done it.

Question: What are your thoughts on the longevity of MS Dhoni? Can he play beyond 2024?

Sidhu: Look, it is a miracle, what he has done. He would be 42. I have never seen anyone. There was this guy, Brian Close who played at 41. Once you are not in the swing of things, once you are not playing cricket continuously, you tend to lose out on things. Look at what happened to Ricky Ponting, look at what happened to Matthew Hayden, someone like Tendulkar. It's not easy to go into hibernation like a bear for six-seven months, and comeback, pick up the bat and stand there. It's impossible.

I still remember Madhavrao Scindia's son wanted me to play a match. I had not touched a bat, because there was no motivation for me. The only motivation was to play for India. After 15 years, the same shouts were there 'Sixer Sidhu, Sixer Sidhu'. But, when I held the bat, I realised that there was no way I could hit that ball. So, the first landed on my stumps.

But, you look at Dhoni. How many years has he not been in the swing of things? Yet, he comes as if nothing has changed. Therefore, this adds to his greatness, to his mental fortitude. He is very strong mentally. More so, he looks supremely fit at 42. And there's an easy case also, he is an expert at coming in when 3-4 overs are remaining. If you are fit and you're prepared to play the game and all those things, I feel it's a miracle that someone like MS Dhoni still stands like a Rock of Gibraltar when others have fallen like nine pins. Here is someone who is an exception. This man is an exception to the rule. He is a superstar, a man with paranormal ability.

Question: How will Rohit Sharma adapt to the feeling of not being a captain in the IPL?

Sidhu: One thing is certain. If you are not a captain, it releases so much pressure from the back of your mind. Look, any captaincy, any leadership role is a bed of thorns, whether you accept it or not. Some have enjoyed it, some have taken it as a burden. Rohit Sharma is a successful and iconic Indian captain. To not be captain in the IPL and pass on the baton to someone and enjoy cricket, I am sure that Hardik Pandya would run to him, time and again, and consult. A conversation with a wise man is worth months of education.

This is not about Rohit Sharma going down a few notches. This is about old order changes, yielding place to new. It has happened always, right? Whether it was Ian Chappel, Greg Chappel, Sunil Gavaskar or Tendulkar, a time comes when everybody has to go.

I feel that he has a lot more years to play, Rohit, if he takes care of his fitness. He is someone close to genius. I have seen him pick balls on the front foot and hit them square for sixes. He has own USP. Nobody can take that away.

Question: How excited are you to see Rishabh Pant back on the field, after all that he has been through over the last 15 months?

Sidhu: Look, I have to say this in Hindi. Shilpikhar ka hathode ke prahar ke bina, devata ki moorthi nahi banti. Pathar bhi ghis ghis ke, shaligram banta hai. Ek pathar chot ka kar, khankhar khankar ho gaya hai. Aur ek pathar chot seh ke, shankar shankar hogaya hai. Yeh joh chot ko sehna hai na, aur sehe ki, after being bruised and battered, to come up, this is the true test of character. Character is not made in crisis, it's exhibited.

If he can exhibit this character, overcome this fitness weaknessâ€æ I have seen people, great people overcome obstacles. Dennis Lillee had a back problem which threatened to finish his career. For 8 months, the man was on the treadmill, doing his training, whatever the doctor told him. He came back, he reinvented, he changed his action, which was less load on the back, slightly open-chested, and he got 300 Test wickets after that.

So, impossible is a word only in the dictionary of the fools. Everything is possible. But, for that, you must have the will and steely resolve. Nothing is impossible for a resolute man, I see that resolve in this Pant fellow.

Once I watched a game (of his) against England. And this Pant, like a pocket-sized dynamo, had flayed England that time. I watched that innings. One of my friends messaged me 'you must watch this innings'. I enjoyed it. He is not a copybook, he is not what the technical manual would say.

I have seen Viv (Richards), looked at Kapil Dev, swinging the ball outside the off-stump, going toward the first slip, planting his leg across and hitting the ball through midwicket.

Someone like Hemu Adhikari, the great coach, his mouth would be open! 'How the hell did he do it?'. Therefore the man has a USP of his own, he is very attacking, he is very dominating, he instils the fear of the devil in the opposition's mind. That, to me, is something that I would like to see again.