PTI

Mumbai, Sep 27: He himself rose from the obscurity of Jharkhand to lead India to Twenty20 World Cup glory and Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes cricketers from small towns are mentally and physically stronger than their counterparts in the metros.

"Guys coming from small-time towns are generally mentally and physically tougher than those coming from the metros. The infrastructure and facilities are not there and so players from smaller towns have to work harder," Dhoni said during the team's felicitation programme at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

More than where they hail from, it's, however, a matter of the urge to do well at the international stage that makes the cricketers successful, Dhoni said.

"Whether it's the small-town guys or those from the metros, everyone wanted to perform at the international stage and they have been successful."

Throughout the tournament, Dhoni always seemed a man in complete control of his emotions. Asked how he managed to stay cool, Dhoni said, "I think little nervousness at this level is justified but the way all 15 players responded, I hardly had a reason to worry.

"Whoever I tossed the ball to fetched me wickets. Whoever walked out to bat, scored the runs. So pressure was considerably less on me," he said.

"Besides, the entire team had full faith in each other's abilities and that's important," Dhoni added.

Being the underdog also helped the side, said Dhoni.

"We were quite relaxed. In the very first team meeting, we discussed it. We were not tipped favourites, nobody expected us to reach the Super Eights or knock-out stage. And whenever the expectation is less, the determination is high.

"We did not do well in the World Cup (in West Indies) and so it was the perfect stage for the team. We took one match at a time and in the final, took it as just another match and that helped," Dhoni said.

The triumph in South Africa was a momentous occasion for the entire team but Dhoni admitted he realised the magnitude of the achievement only after landing in the country.

"We were overwhelmed after the triumph. We could feel it was a great occasion but it was only after landing here that we realised how great it actually is."

The entire squad hardly had rest as they landed in the airport and then travelled, crawled actually, 30-km to reach the Wankhede Stadium where a lengthy felicitation ceremony was awaiting them. The jet lag, however, could not rob Dhoni of his natural sense of humour.

"We are told that Mumbai is a city which moved fast. See, me and my boys have brought the entire city to a standstill today," he quipped.