India vs New Zealand: Can MS Dhoni, the captain replicate biopic success on the field

New Delhi: On the eve of India-New Zealand ODI series opener at Dharamsala, producers Fox Star Studios revealed that "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story" has earned Rs 204 crore at the box office globally.

That's heartening for the crew, and for the Indian limited overs' captain Dhoni, in whose life the movie is based. The global collection besides, the film has become a representation of Dhoni's larger than life. Interesting, for obvious reasons.

Come Sunday, the focus however will be shifted from reel life to real life with MS Dhoni still in focus as India take on New Zealand in the series opener at Dharamsala.

All these while, Indian cricket was under the influence of Virat Kohli, who led the team to an emphatic Test series whitewash. And talks of an imminent Kohli take-over of the limited overs' cricket also emerged as the Delhi batsman's aura continues to grow.

But, Dhoni is still in charge of the more popular formats, where he exerts an unrivaled influence. He has won two world cups, helping India consolidate it's global domination and also overseen the transition of many a young turks to match winners.

Such is his grip in the team and India cricket that, he is still the "Captain".

However, all these can change with this series. And the question now is, will he be able to replicate the not so related cinematic success in the field. Yes, the biopic has no Dhoni in it except footages and reference, but it still is his movie, based on his life. And it's a successful movie.

On the field, anything less than a 5-0 win over the visiting Kiwis will be considered a failure, specially considering what Kohli had done with the Test team.

But the challenges are different. The Kiwi ODI team is a different beast, and unlike their Test team. The Black Cats are ranked above the Indians and can beat the best in the world, on their day.

So, this Sunday, Dhoni will find himself answering new questions.