MS Dhoni is without a doubt the most successful skipper India has ever had. All three ICC trophies, leader of the best Test side and having led by example, the man’s reputation precedes him wherever he goes.
It is at this time that many are doubting if he should be in the team. He is expected to stay till 2019 but some want him out already now.
Like seriously? Do any of these people even have the right to decide if he should be a part of Team India? No! Of course not!
Mind you, no player is bigger than the game, but in this case Dhoni still has a lot to offer. He may be 36, but he is still one of the fittest cricketers around.
Be it with the bat or the gloves, our former skipper is still a dangerous customer, so before someone takes potshots at him, think really hard.
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Today, yet again, the fan does not know where MS Dhoni stands in his books. Books, that for all intents and purposes, adorn the shelves of armchair experts.
India’s topsy-turvy win against Sri Lanka in the second game of the five-match ODI series added yet another dimension to this bizarre relationship.
In spite of registering two hundred-run stands, India barely managed the 231-run target in their rain-curtailed, 47-over innings win. Collaborating with Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a memorable 8th wicket stand, Dhoni scripted yet another clinical finish to an Indian chase.
India was reeling at 118-4 when the former Indian captain made his way to the middle. A few years ago, the probability of India chasing this target with Dhoni at the crease wouldn’t have warranted a speck of doubt. Today, the same faith comes only after clearing a cloud of doubt.
The final of the Champions Trophy flashed before the Indian fan’s eyes, where India succumbed to a 180-run loss against arch-rivals Pakistan. Kohli couldn’t do a thing, Dhoni couldn’t make a difference. There are truly no words to define India’s out-of-character and shambolic show that day. However….
As Dhoni once said,
“I wouldn’t count it as a bad performance. It was so bad that I can’t count it as a performance.”
Every time Dhoni turned a loss into a victory, the Indian cricket fan let go of his/her frustration. Every time Dhoni made a mockery of an improbable chase, the Indian cricket fan surged with exhilaration. Every time Dhoni deposited that last delivery into the stand, the Indian cricket fan lived vicariously off his success.
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Dhoni is not the same finisher anymore. However, he’s still a veteran who adds immense physical and tactical depth to the team. He still stands tall amongst his teammates, taller amongst his contemporaries.
With youngsters like Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav knitting a name for themselves, India might not need Dhoni, the finisher. The Indian cricket fan isn’t ready to let go though. He does not want a veteran who is part of a mundane process, he wants a superstar who makes him believe in magic.
As Dhoni once said,
“Till a full stop doesn’t come, the sentence is not complete.”
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