Indian women’s cricket team all-rounder Deepti Sharma has compared former India captain MS Dhoni’s composure under pressure to that of tennis great Novak Djokovic, saying both sporting icons possess a rare ability to stay calm when the stakes are highest.Deepti, who is attending Wimbledon for the first time, described the experience as a long-cherished dream and spoke about the athletes who have inspired her both on and off the field.Drawing parallels between the 24-time Grand Slam champion and the legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter, Deepti highlighted the mental strength that sets both apart.“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.Deepti also revealed that watching a Wimbledon match live had been on her bucket list 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.The Indian all-rounder named Djokovic as her favourite tennis player, praising his fighting spirit and resilience.“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 added.When asked which Indian sporting personalities she would like to accompany her to Wimbledon, Deepti chose three of cricket’s biggest names.“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.
