REVEALED: Pakistan’s secret weapon against India – Usman Tariq’s surprising connection with MS Dhoni
Usman’s connection with Dhoni is not one of personal mentorship, but of profound inspiration through cinema. In 2016, a frustrated Tariq had effectively quit cricket after repeated criticism in Pakistan’s domestic circuit. He moved to Dubai, where he took a grueling job as a salesman and logistics worker at a purchasing company to support his family.
The turning point came when he watched the biopic “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.” Tariq reportedly saw himself in the scenes of Dhoni wrestling as a TTE in Kharagpur, balancing a monotonous 9-to-5 job with his burning desire to play for his country.
“I left the game after not being selected and started working as a salesman at a buying company in Dubai. One day I was watching MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and it inspired me a lot. I left the job and went back to Pakistan to play cricket again,” Tariq revealed this in a recent interview with Telecom Asia Sport in 2025. This cinematic moment of truth led him back to the nets, where he eventually developed the unique swinging action that has now made him a household name.
Pakistan’s Usman Tariq says he gave himself another shot at cricket after being inspired by the train scene from MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. pic.twitter.com/ynyNXcVtIe
—Ragav February 6, 2026
READ also: ‘Extra pressure on them’: Usman Tariq reveals his bowling plans ahead of Pakistan’s 2026 T20 World Cup match with India
T20 World Cup 2026: The ‘Chucking’ controversy and support from Ravicnadran Ashwin
In the ongoing T20 World Cup, Tariq has lived up to his ‘X-factor’ tag, most recently with 3/27 to help Pakistan win the USA on February 10. However, his success is overshadowed by intense scrutiny of his bowling action, with a dramatic pause of almost two seconds at the crease before the sidearm release.
The debate reached a fever pitch after Australia’s Cameron Green questioned the legality of the action during a recent series. While social media trolls have branded the move ‘illegal’, Tariq has found an unexpected ally in the Indian veteran Ravichandran Ashwin.
- Ashwin’s defense: Ashwin took to
Okay, let me make it as clear as possible. Firstly, the legality of his action can only be tested at an ICC bowling action test centre.
Secondly, there is a 15° rule under which a bowler must maintain and extend his elbow and judge whether a bowler is within… pic.twitter.com/RbTkY6xJ3h
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 11, 2026
- Medical condition: Tariq has clarified that he was born with a unique right elbow with ‘two angles’, which creates a visual illusion of a bend that is actually a biological deformity, similar to the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan.
Usman Tariq teaches illiterates. pic.twitter.com/NxrUDBmt66
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) February 11, 2026
Having already cleared the biomechanical tests in Lahore, Tariq will be Pakistan’s key weapon in the upcoming blockbuster battle against India on February 15 in Colombo.
READ also: Is Usman Tariq’s bowling action legal? Breaking the break controversy
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