Former Indian opener, Aakash Chopra reckons Gautam Gambhir’s claim that MS Dhoni failed to produce as many match-winners as Sourav Ganguly did during his captaincy tenure is wrong. Chopra said Dhoni build a great team and carried forward the captaincy reins to Virat Kohli in 2017. The former opener also pointed out that MS faced a different kind of challenge as the team was going through a transition when he was appointed as captain.
Chopra’s comments come after Gambhir said Ganguly gave match-winners on a silver platter for Dhoni — something that Dhoni failed to do. Gambhir pointed out that barring Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, there is almost match-winner in the Indian team in the post Dhoni era.
However, Chopra didn’t mince his words in saying that Gambhir’s claim is incorrect. Aakash said the likes of Suresh Raina, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, along with Rohit, Kohli, and Bumrah are match-winners who excelled under Dhoni’s captaincy.
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In the recent video on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said, “Dhoni has been a phenomenal captain. Managing transition is difficult, Dhoni has done that very well. MS Dhoni’s biggest challenge was the transition from an established team which had so many legends, but was on their way down from their lofty heights.”
He further explained, “In my opinion, Dhoni’s task was very difficult and a person like Dhoni was only required there. Players who came under him include Virat Kohli himself, who could have been dropped after the England tour if it was some other captain but Dhoni stood with him. Rohit Sharma got to those heights under Dhoni.”
Explaining himself further Chopra said Bumrah also came when MS was about to give up ODI captaincy and he had made a name for himself when Dhoni left.
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Aakash Chopra also explained, “According to me, it is a wrong comparison and it is a slightly incorrect outcome as well. I personally don’t agree with the opinion, I feel the team that Kohli got was assembled with great love by MS Dhoni.”
Aakash Chopra, However, also acknowledged the fact that Ganguly assembled a match-winning Indian team. He said Ganguly took over the captaincy when not just Indian cricket was marred by match-fixing controversies.
