Ravi Shastri recently shared his views on MS Dhoni and the other keeping options in next year’s T20 World Cup where he said only Dhoni knows whether his body will be able to cope up with all the rigours of international cricket after a break or not. He even said that KL Rahul could be another keeping option for next year’s T20 World Cup and Rishabh Pant needs to “calm down”.
“It’s sensible (the break by Dhoni). I like the time (around IPL) when he will be starting to play again. I don’t think he is too keen on the one-day stuff. He is finished with Test cricket. T20 is an option. It’s a format that is tailor-made for him. But will his body be able to cope with the demands, only he will answer,” Shastri told ‘India Today’.
“The rest would have done him a world of good, mentally. That mental fatigue would have gone away by now. If he decides to play, which he will because he will play the IPL, then he will start training with a very fresh mind. Then you have got to see form,” said Shastri.
However, he believes that Rahul could be an option as he manages the responsibility in the IPL as well as for Karnataka in domestic white-ball tournaments.
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“It is an absolute option. You got to see where your strength is. Tomorrow, there could be a couple of guys in the middle-order who are firing with unbelievable innings in the IPL. And then if you have a guy who can multi-task, who could be used at the top, because there’s some firepower at the back who are doing extremely well, then why not,” he added.
“You have got to cash in. Your work ethic should be solid. You have to have a solid approach to your batting. You can’t think everything is going to happen the way I want it to happen from ball 1. No, it won’t happen like that. This game teaches you. There’s a method to madness as well. So, he has to learn that method,” Shastri shared.
Sometimes playing domestic cricket is a good thing as it helps players to understand his calibre.
“Sometimes, domestic cricket is good. There is less pressure in domestic cricket. He’s lucky that he has age on his side. If he disappears for 3 months or 6 months, just to work on his game, people should not think he has been treated (badly). Absolutely not. He will come back tougher and stronger, if there is a need for that to happen,” he expressed. “He doesn’t need to be spoken about as much as as he is spoken about now. No! He is young, give him time. In 5 years, if he doesn’t set the world on fire, then talk about it.”
