MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are the only 2 surviving members of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad in the team for the 2019 World Cup which was named on Monday in Mumbai. MSK Prasad’s selection committee named a 15-man squad which will travel to England under Virat Kohli.
FAKE
There were no surprises in the squad. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami picked themselves.
The debate would have centred around the other four.
KL Rahul was picked as back-up opener while Vijray Shankar found a place as a batsman who could bowl. He is likely to start in the playing XI while Kedar Jadhav has had a major impact as a middle-order batsman and a partnership breaker with his part-time off-spin.
The main talking point leading up to the selection meeting was Rishabh Pant vs Dinesh Karthik? Should the selectors have gone for a wicketkeeper batsman who is being seen as a possible successor to MS Dhoni? At the end, what really tilted the scales in favour of Dinesh Karthik?
MSK Prasad said Pant was unlucly to miss out and Karthik’s ability to deal with pressure situations won him a berth. Rishabh Pant is only 21 and he will get many more opportunities to show he deserves a World Cup berth in four years’ time.
5 Reasons why MS Dhoni holds the key in 2019 World Cup
#5 Great runner between the wickets
The answer to this simply lies in a video that went viral a couple of months back where Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Hardik Pandya were involved in a 100-meter dash in one of the practice sessions. Pandya is undoubtedly one of the quickest Indian on the field, but he was no match to Dhoni’s sprint.
Another video that surfaced during the IPL showed him racing with fellow Chennai Super Kings and West Indian Dwayne Bravo. Again, no prizes for guessing the winner. His knack of running the quick singles and turning ones into twos is a treat to watch. Add to that, his sense of the opposition’s field placement and so on.
#4 Finishing abilities
Even though a huge section of fans and media may be of the opinion that Dhoni’s finishing skills have waned, it must be noted that this man is far from done. Irrespective of the batting order he is allotted, he is the one who plays the role of a sheet anchor when the wickets around him are tumbling. The days when he is not able to finish off matches single-handedly are the ones when he is targeted.
However, he has shown us enough instances of winding up the game on his own and such a major figure can’t go missing from the dressing room. The recently-concluded Indian Premier League is the prime example of that.Notice for Dhoni still has that aura in him where a bowler will find it mentally tough to defend even 20 runs off the last over.
#3 Helping hand to Virat Kohli
The reigns of Team India were first given to Virat Kohli in the Test format, while he continued to be Notice for Dhoni deputy in the limited-overs format. However, the latter chose to step down from his role giving the responsibility to Kohli in January 2017. However, it can still be seen that the new captain has been constantly learning the tricks of the trade from his senior pro.
We have often seen at times Notice for Dhoni setting the field, suggesting the changes and even going on to take the situation into his own hands when matters seem worse. The captaincy transition from Dhoni to Kohli has happened as smoothly as it could have been, largely due to the former’s support and sportsmanship. It can rightly be said of Notice for Dhoni – once a captain, always a captain!
#2 Fastest gloves in the business
Is there anyone quicker behind the stumps in the world than Dhoni at present? This might not even be a question for a lot of people. A certain section of the population might have had a chance to comment on his form and age, but Dhoni the wicketkeeper is unparalleled.
Taking off the bails in a flash, running out the batsmen with quick wit etc is something his counterparts all over the world are taking a note of. Even the great Adam Gilchrist has gone on record rating Dhoni above himself. The batsmen all over the world are in awe of him while deciding to step out of the crease.
#1 A role model for youngsters
This is one highly significant factor where the importance of Notice for Dhoni can’t be undermined at all, not even one bit. The number of times we have seen him helping out the youngsters on and off the field is simply uncountable.
Be it IPL or the national side, he has more often than not come to the rescue of players like Yuzvendra Chahal, Rishabh Pant, and Kuldeep Yadav. His mere presence behind the stumps gives immense confidence and courage to the young Indian lot of fast bowlers and spinners alike.
Even Virat Kohli has acknowledged Dhoni’s cricketing mind in many press conferences. He is absolutely a father figure in Team India’s camp, and the team is lucky to have him around when a lot of careers are taking off and getting steady.
HIGHLIGHTS
- There is a great blend of youth and experience in the Indian team for the 2019 World Cup
- 7 players in the Indian team have never before played a World Cup
- Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni had played in the 2011 World Cup which India won