On Saturday, Former Indian batsman and World Cup winner Krishnamachari Srikkanth commented on MS Dhoni’s chances of making it back in the Indian team setup. The former chairman of selectors was upfront about his opinion on MS Dhoni. The 60-year-old believes MS Dhoni’s chances of being picked in India’s T20 World Cup squad will be “very, very bleak” if the 13th IPL doesn’t happen.
“I am not going to be diplomatic. I am talking about if I was the chairman of the selection committee, what would I do. If the IPL does not happen then his (Dhoni’s) chances are very, very bleak,” Srikkanth said.
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The Indian wicket-keeper last played cricket during India’s semi-final loss to New Zealand in the World Cup 2019 in England. The 1983 WC winner reveals that people should always look ahead for the benefits of the team over any certain individual and the same rule applies to the serial winner MS Dhoni also.
Srikkanth shared the reason for him think this way saying, “Because straightaway, in my opinion, KL Rahul will be the wicketkeeper-batsman. Rishabh Pant, I still think he might be a bit of a doubt, but I believe that Rishabh Pant is highly talented. So, I wouldn’t mind taking him along with the squad, but definitely, if the IPL doesn’t happen, then Dhoni will have a difficult time getting back into the team for the T20 World Cup.”
Srikkanth kept diplomacy at bay and said, “Let’s be very honest about it. He is absolutely fit, he is a legend, he is brilliant. I am a great fan of Dhoni myself. But the question is for the World Cup team. So you’ll have to put the Indian team first and then the individuals.”
However, Nasser Hussain contradicted Srikkanth’s thoughts. The former England skipper has a different opinion on India’s 2011 World Cup-winning captain. One of the most respected voices behind the mike in the cricket, Nasser Hussain feels MS Dhoni still has a lot to offer to Indian cricket.
“Once Dhoni is gone, there is no getting him back. There are some legends of the game, appreciating while around because they are once-in-a-generation cricketer and don’t push him into retirement too early. Only Dhoni knows his mental state and in the end the selectors select and players turn up when asked to,” Hussain said.
“Is MS Dhoni still good enough to get in the Indian side? It is as simple as that. That should apply for anyone across the board. What I have seen of Dhoni, I still think MS Dhoni has a huge amount to offer for Indian cricket,” he added.
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Hussain also called out MS Dhoni when the wicketkeeper couldn’t force the pace of the innings in the World Cup. “Yes, it’s been one or two occasions where he got it wrong in run chases. There was a World Cup game in England where he sort of blocked at the end for some unknown reason. But in general, MS Dhoni is still a really good talent and be careful what you wish for.”
Cricket fans in India were excited to see MSD return to competitive cricket. He was set to return in action with IPL 2020. However with India under lockdown, IPL’s unlikely to happen in the current window.
