Dubai: In 2013, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni inspired team India to become champions in the Champions Trophy. In 2017, he will be playing for team India, but as a wicketkeeper-batsman. The ageing star has been retained as the lone wicketkeeper in the team at a time when many young wicketkeepers are waiting in the wings to don his gloves.
The question then comes to mind: Is the pressure mounting on him to perform with the bat and be as agile as the rising youngsters?
Dhoni has said he wants to play in the 2019 World Cup, but for that he will have to do something exemplary in the forthcoming Champions Trophy to retain the confidence of the selectors. It will be interesting to watch how Dhoni handles the situation.
Soon after he relinquished captaincy of India’s limited-overs teams, there were rumours he was forced by the selectors to give up captaincy and that they had even discussed his future in the team. The selectors are keen to draw up a roadmap for Indian cricket with a focus on the 2019 World Cup by grooming youngsters. There are already two wicketkeeper-batsmen in 19-year-old Rishabh Pant and in-form Dinesh Karthik as standby for the Champions Trophy.
Chief selector MSK Prasad, after announcing the team on Sunday for the Champions Trophy, has already stated that they will groom Pant. “We considered Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Shardul Thakur. They are in our standby list for the ICC Champions Trophy. We’re extremely pleased with Rishabh and will groom him,” said Prasad.
Interestingly, many other wicketkeeper-batsmen are in top form too. Sanju Samson has proved to be ideal for limited overs cricket and so is the in-form Robin Uthappa and Parthiv Patel. Wriddhiman Saha has smoothly stepped into Dhoni’s shoes in Test cricket and has proved his worth.
Dhoni was known to soak the pressure and remain cool, but that was in the role of a captain. Things have changed a lot since then. On July 7, he will turn 36 and for the load of work he has carried on his shoulders, he is absolutely fit.
Any cricketer after 35 will be closely watched for his form and Dhoni too will have to encounter it. By the time of the 2019 World Cup he will be 38. In fact, Dhoni retired from Test cricket in 2014 and focused on limited over cricket to extend his career till the 2019 World Cup.
Dhoni’s fans feel that if 39-year-old Younis Khan and 42-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq can play so long, then their hero too can do it. The difference is the latter two were the mainstay of Pakistan’s batting and not wicketkeepers. Whenever the media has asked Dhoni questions on his retirement, he has displayed hints of irritation.
Dhoni’s form in the ongoing Indian Premier League is under the scanner and many feel Dhoni looks lost as a player.
Removed as captain
Rising Pune Supergiant owner Sanjiv Goenka did not even hesitate to remove Dhoni as their captain and hand over the mantle to Australia skipper Steven Smith. For any captain to be powerful, despite a winning run, they need support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials. Sourav Ganguly’s success as a strong captain was to a great extent due to the support he received from Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then kingmaker of Indian cricket. Dhoni was a favourite of N. Srinivasan, another kingmaker of Indian cricket.
Dhoni’s credentials as an outstanding captain will stand forever, but he will have to repeatedly prove that he is still the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the country. He will have to be as agile as 19-year-old Pant and score as quickly and hit powerfully like Samson and Pant. Dhoni’s dream to play in the 2019 World Cup will depend on his ability to sustain his form.
Dhoni has hit maximum centuries batting at No. 7 in ODIs, most sixes as an international team captain, highest score as wicketkeeper-batsman and has had the most stumpings in international cricket. His glorious exploits will continue to demand more from him despite the challenges of his age.
