Former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni responded recently to one of the most debated questions in cricket circuits: who is his favourite batsman between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The legendary cricketer said during a promotional event that it is tough to pick one batter because several brilliant performances have been seen in the game.
“It’s difficult to pick one among the batters because whoever is batting looks like the best at that moment”. But then, when another guy is batting, he looks great also,” MS Dhoni said. His comments reflect the level of performance expectation and quality in players that he’s seen. He further added, “As long as Team India is winning, I don’t want to pick a specific batsman as my favorite. I hope they all keep scoring runs and contributing to the team’s success.”
WATCH – Francis Sande’s Unforgettable Celebration: Batter Hits Six and Umpire In Viral Moment
He left no doubt regarding his favorite bowler – Dhoni picked Jasprit Bumrah as the best. Bumrah has been at the forefront of all major cricketing successes for India in recent times, like winning the T20 World Cup 2024 in the Americas. In the tournament, Bumrah stood out with 15 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 4.17, that got him the Player of the Tournament award.
“It’s easy to pick my favourite bowler because Bumrah is there. It’s tough to choose a batsman because there are so many good ones. But that doesn’t mean the bowlers aren’t excellent,” MS Dhoni said.
Bumrah hasn’t played any cricket since the World Cup and will miss the ongoing white-ball series against Sri Lanka as part of his rest. Dhoni was also asked about his fate in the IPL – including the 2025 edition – but he refused to commit, saying, “There is a lot of time before that. We need to see what decisions are made regarding retention and other rules.”. Once the regulations are formalized, I shall take a decision, but it has to be in the best interest of the team.”
ALSO READ: Ravi Shastri Hails Rohit Sharma As One Of Cricket’s Best Captains
Currently, there are many thorns that bother IPL teams. From the rules of mega auctions to the ‘Impact Player’ rule, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has claimed to have had a “constructive dialogue” with IPL team owners. That would be taken up for review by the IPL Governing Council, headed by Arun Dhumal, for discussion and decisions.
