Cuttack, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Aashirwad Swain drew inspiration from MS Dhoni’s iconic six in the 2011 ODI World Cup final and put the former India captain’s lessons into practice, holding his nerve to guide Puri Titans to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Keonjhar Miners in the Odisha T20 League – CM Trophy at the Barabati Stadium.
Chasing 141, Puri Titans slipped to 113/8 in the 18th over and needed 15 runs from the final six balls. Swain remained composed under pressure and completed the chase, earning his side a dramatic win.
Swain said he had deliberately aimed to take the game deep after noticing that the ball was arriving slowly on the pitch.
“I was trying to analyse the situation outside. The ball was coming a little late on the wicket, so this was on my mind that the deeper we go, the team in front of us will also panic. Most of the time, the plan was that I stay till the end,” he said after the match.
“I believed in myself that no matter how many runs there were in the last over, I could finish it.”
The 19-year-old revealed that Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 in the 2011 World Cup final, including the famous six that sealed India’s victory over Sri Lanka, was a major influence on his decision to pursue cricket.
“The last six of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011 became the reason for me to pick up the sport. I got inspired by him. I learnt a lot from him by watching the match videos: that you have to take the game till the last over. So he has a big role. He is my inspiration,” Swain said.
Although he has yet to meet Dhoni, Swain said the former India captain’s approach to pressure situations has influenced his own game.
The wicketkeeper-batter from Rourkela also explained the significance of his jersey number 19, saying it was inspired by football great Lionel Messi, who wore the same number early in his career.
“I’m a big Messi fan also. In the early stages, he also had the No. 19 jersey,” he said.
Swain said his development was challenging during his early years because Rourkela had limited access to quality cricket academies and coaching facilities.
“There were not that many academy facilities there. So I had to struggle a lot for good coaching in my childhood,” he said.
A key phase in his development came during the off-season, when he trained in Mumbai with former India batter and coach Wasim Jaffer. Jaffer had previously worked with the Odisha team, helping establish a connection with Swain.
After a difficult previous season, Swain contacted Jaffer and was invited to Mumbai for training.
“My last year didn’t go that well. So as soon as I messaged him, he replied that whenever you are free, come. We planned it out and had great sessions back in Mumbai,” he said.
“The confidence that I got in the off-season by working with him, I feel really good right now.”
Swain also credited the Puri Titans camp for instilling a collective belief in fighting until the final ball, regardless of the match situation.
“From day one, we were trying to develop this culture in our camp that all the youngsters and all the seniors, whatever the situation is, we will try to get the team out of that situation,” he said.
“We will take the match to the last. So I guess that process gave results today. I am very happy.”
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