Image credit: AgenciesKOLKATA: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s influence on Jharkh and cricket has never needed an official designation. Even after stepping away from the domestic cricket long ago, the former India captain continues to leave his imprint quietly, helping shape a young generation that is now beginning to make its presence felt at the highest domestic level across formats.

East Zone’s Duleep Trophy triumph on Thursday, their first since 2012, offered perhaps the clearest indication yet of the strength of Jharkh and’s emerging batting core. Captain Ishan Kishan led from the front, aggregating 350 runs in the final, while Shikhar Mohan, Kumar Kushagra, Md Kounain Quraishi and Anukul Roy were among the Jharkh and players who made significant contributions during the campaign.

The title, naturally, was a collective East Zone achievement. Bengal supplied considerable experience through Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami and Shahbaz Ahmed, while Bihar’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also made his mark in the semifinal with the fastest half-century in the history of the tournament.

But the performance of Jharkh and’s young middle-order batters provided one of the strongest threads running through East Zone’s campaign. “Whenever he is free and in Ranchi, he visits the (JSCA) stadium.

From juniors to seniors, when camps are going on, he comes himself, talks to people and gets involved. “He keeps telling us which players are good and should be watched.

He also speaks to players whenever they get an opportunity to meet him and tells them how to perform. The most important thing he discusses with them is how to read the game.

That is a huge mental factor when you are playing at the top level,” Tiwary told TOI on Thursday. Once a regular in the Indian Premier League, Tiwary said Dhoni’s involvement has grown significantly and that his interest in the state setup remains remarkably close.

That influence is not necessarily about technical instruction. It is about understanding what it takes to survive and succeed at the top level — something Dhoni knows better than most.

“MSD was the first guy playing for the country from Jharkh and. He made us all believe that players from Jharkh and can also be at the top level,” Jaggi said.

“Whenever he is in Ranchi and free, he makes sure he is at the (JSCA) stadium. Coaches and players ask him about different situations and he shares his experiences.