A remarkable twist of fate in the century T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistanthe latest ‘mystery spinner’ Osman Tariq emerged as a major tactical threat ahead of a high-voltage clash against Indiabut his journey to the national side has a surprising connection to an Indian legend. While the 28-year-old off-spinner is currently confounding batsmen with his unusual stop-start action, he owes his professional turnaround to his influence. MS Dhoni.
REVEALED: Pakistan’s secret weapon against India – Usman Tariq’s surprising connection with MS Dhoni
Usman’s bond with Dhoni stems not from personal mentorship but from deep inspiration through cinema. In 2016, a frustrated Tariq quit cricket altogether after repeated failures in Pakistan’s domestic circuit. He moved to Dubai, where he worked a grueling job as a salesman and logistics officer in a procurement firm to support his family.
The turning point came when he watched the biopic “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.” Tariq is said to have seen himself in Dhoni’s struggling scenes as a TTE in Kharagpur, balancing his monotonous 9-to-5 job with his desire to play for his country.
“As I was not selected, I quit the game and started working as a salesman in a procurement company in Dubai. One day I watched the movie MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and it inspired me a lot. I quit and came back to Pakistan to take up cricket again.” Tariq revealed this in a recent interview with Telecom Asia Sport 2025. This cinematic moment of truth took him back to the nets, and eventually he developed the unique, drunken move that has now made him a household name.
Pakistan’s Usman Tariq says he took a new shot at cricket after being inspired by the train scene in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. pic.twitter.com/ynyNXcVtIe
– Rivalry February 6, 2026
T20 World Cup 2026: ‘Boot’ controversy and support from Ravichnadran Ashwin
In the ongoing T20 World Cup, Tariq lived up to his ‘X-factor’ tag, taking 3/27 in the latest to help Pakistan to victory. USA On February 10. However, his success has been overshadowed by intense scrutiny over his bowling action, which takes a dramatic, nearly two-second pause at the crease before releasing the sidearm.
The controversy reached a fever pitch after Australia Cameron Green questioned the legality of the move during the last episode. While social media trolls called the move “illegal”, Tariq found an unlikely ally in the Indian veteran. Ravichandran Ashwin.
- Ashwin’s Defence: Ashwin took to X (formerly Twitter) in support of the Pakistani spinner, arguing that if batsmen are allowed to hit and reverse sweep without warning, bowlers should be allowed their “nonsense” as long as they stay within 15 degrees of elbow extension.
Well, let me make this as clear as possible. First, the legality of his action can only be checked at the ICC bowling test centre.
Secondly, there is a 15° rule where the bowler has to keep his elbow and straighten it and judge whether the bowler is bowling inside… pic.twitter.com/RbTkY6xJ3h
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) February 11, 2026
- Medical Condition: Tariq clarified that he was born with a unique right elbow with “two corners”. Muttiah Muralitharan.
Osman Tarık teaches the illiterate. pic.twitter.com/NxrUDBmt66
— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) February 11, 2026
Tariq, who has already undergone biomechanical tests in Lahore, will be Pakistan’s main weapon in the upcoming blockbuster clash against India in Colombo on February 15.
Also READ: Is Usman Tariq’s bowling action legal? Break the pause argument
