Captain Pumpkin And His Papayas

Many give in to the good life; many head to the academy, giving neophytes the benefit of their experience as international cri­­cketers; some aim for high office in cricket’s labyrinthine bureaucracy; others head straight to a lucrative media career. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, mav­­erick and ‘captain cool’, chose the least trodden path—he’s a farmer now. After hanging his well-scuffed boots on August 15 last year, MSD has taken to organic farming on his spra­­wling farm near his hometown, Ranchi.

From growing seasonal vegetables and fruits to poultry and dairy, 39-year-old Mahi has been keeping busy in integrated farming, far from the hurly-burly of international cricket, where the fortunes of his beloved team fall and rise with every passing game. Already, there is a huge demand for fresh vegetables and dairy products from his farm in the local market, and he has plans to export them to the UAE.

Mohd Arshad, who sells strawberries, tomatoes and other produce grown at Dhoni’s farmhouse at Ranchi’s bustling Daily Market, says that the demand for the produce is so high that his entire stock flies off the crates in no time. Arshad has put up a large picture of Dhoni alongside the banner and logo of his Eeja Farms with its tagline, ‘Growing with Love’, emblazoned on it. It’s a one-stop destination for just about every­thing procured from the farm, right from Kadaknath chicken eggs and organic vegetables and fruits to pure cow milk. The crops grown at his farm, he adds, are brands in themselves—an extension, surely, of the immense brand equity of the man himself.

Dhoni, who lives in Harmu, near Ranchi city centre, has a huge farmhouse spread over 43 acres at Sambo, near a CRPF camp, a short distance from the Jharkhand capital. Dhoni, whose family originally hails from Uttarakhand, has named it ‘Eeja’—‘mother’ in Kumaoni.

Shravan, who runs a National Horticulture Board-accredited nursery at Tati Silway, takes care of the plants at Dhoni’s farm. According to him, large var­ieties of fruits such as pineapple, plum, mango, guava and papaya plants are grown there. “Strawberries, tomatoes, peas, broccoli, pumpkin and everything else are grown organically, without pesticides. Only cow dung is used as man­ure,” he informs.

Whenever Dhoni is in town, he spends time in the fields at his farmhouse. Though Dhoni likes to get down to brass tacks with the least fanfare, he occasionally shows his new passion on social media. From driving a tractor to planting strawberry saplings, he appears to be a natural on the fields.

Besides fruits and vegetables, there is also a dairy on Dhoni’s farm. Kunal Gaurav, who manages Dhoni’s farmhouse, says that milk is supplied to many areas of the city. As of now, there are 73 cows of Sahiwal, HF and indigenous breeds. He says that about 38 acres are under cultivation. “Strawberries alone have been planted in more than an acre,” he says. “There is also a plan to supply organic vegetables to Dubai.”

According to Kunal, Kadaknath chicken will also be introduced to the farm. The black chicken variety is a unique breed found mostly in the tribal-dominated Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. It is believed to possess imm­ense medicinal properties with high protein and low cholesterol and fat content. Last year, Dhoni had ordered 2,000 Kadaknath chicks from Jhabua, but it had to be cancelled because of a sudden outbreak of bird flu. A fresh stock is likely to arrive sometime this year.

At a time, when rampant use of pesticides in farming has been causing health hazards at an alarming rate, growing org­anic crops with less water has earned Dhoni widespread praise.  Jharkhand’s agriculture minister Badal Patralekh says that the state government wants to promote organic farming in the state by presenting Dhoni as its icon. “Dhoni is not merely an icon of Jharkhand but of the entire country,” he says. “The state government is considering making him a brand ambassador of organic farming. It will serve a message to the new generation that stays away from agriculture these days,” he says.

Patralekh says that the message of org­anic farming will go a long way to preserve the natural nutrients—“the soul”, he calls it—of the fields. As befits a home-grown icon, Dhoni, in any case, has never fought shy of championing  different causes of Jharkhand, where he grew up. Apart from raising awareness over the right to vote, he had also sought to enc­ourage investment in Jharkhand as the brand ambassador of its Investors Summit.

Though he retired from international cricket last year, Dhoni had laid the foundation of his farmhouse about three years ago. Now, Mahi is said to be looking for land to set up farms in other parts of the state.

As in cricket, Dhoni is a multi-tasker off the pitch too. A mainstay of print, broadcast and digital advertising, he has now entered the entertainment world under the Dhoni Entertainment banner, which will produce films and web series.

Dhoni’s image casts a long shadow in Ranchi. His long hair from those early days—sparking a youth trend across India—has been shorn long back, but persists in local youths. He is also a role model for bike enthusiasts. He owns several bikes, from a Bullet to a Harley Davidson, which he loves to take out for a run on the streets of Ranchi. Speed, on the road as on the cricketing pitch, has been a constant spur towards excellence. Dhoni’s former coach Chanchal Bhattacharya remembers how once Dhoni was travelling to a nearby area for a match. He was sitting in the back seat but he got bored with the slow pace on the way. He suddenly jumped up, took the wheel and sped away, overtaking all other vehicles in the convoy.

MSD’s immense stature and clean image imparts everything he touches with instant recall. When in Ranchi, Dhoni visits the Deori temple on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur road. The fame of this ancient shrine has increased due to the frequent visits. Organic food in India just needs a push that only Mahi can inspire.

By Navin Mishra in Ranchi