What Will Dhoni Bring To The Young Brigade As Mentor
BCCI yesterday announced former Indian captain as a mentor of the Indian cricket team during the T20 World Cup which came as a pleasant surprise for many.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian cricket team for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from October 17 to November 14, just after the conclusion of the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Along with the announcement of the 15-member squad for the tournament, BCCI has given a surprise by appointing former India Captain, MS Dhoni, as the mentor of the team.
"Former India Captain @msdhoni to mentor the team for the T20 World Cup" - Honorary Secretary @JayShah #TeamIndia — BCCI (@BCCI) September 8, 2021
For Support and Direction
BCCI has said that Dhoni will be providing "support and direction" to the team management headed by coach Ravi Shastri.
This decision has been welcomed by the fans as well as the experts of the game. With Dhoni as captain, India has won two World Cups in the limited-overs format, 2007 and 2011.
Last year, Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket. However, he is still connected with the game through IPL.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have played with him as captain since 2008 and are considered as one of the most successful team in the IPL, winning the tournament trophy three times.
Wicket To Be Slow
As the IPL's latter half will be played in Dubai, the Chairman of the Selection Committee, Chetan Sharma, had stated that the UAE and Oman pitches would likely be low and slow and would help spinners.
This was the reason that Ashwin has been included in the team after four years, along with four other spinners. When it comes to limited-overs matches, Dhoni is known to use spinners cleverly. This would complement Kohli's decision-making.
Dhoni will not be active on the ground but will serve as a think tank for the management. There will be a sense of familiarity since Dhoni has also captained and mentored many of the players and knows the strengths and weaknesses of each player.
Gavaskar Welcomes with Caution
“MS Dhoni’s appointment itself will be a big boost for Team India. He has so much experience, he knows everything. There was no bigger, destructive player than MS Dhoni when he was active in international cricket", Sunil Gavaskar had told Aaj Tak after the decision.
The former Indian opener had said that Dhoni understands big tournaments and under him, India won the World Cup in 2011 after 28 years. He even led a young side to their maiden triumph in the T20 World Cup back in 2007 and his presence in the squad will only benefit the players.
However, Gavaskar also cautioned the team recalling his experience from 2004 when he had joined the Indian Cricket team as a consultant. The then-head coach, John Wright had started worrying about his own role, said Gavaskar.
It is likely that Sharsti's tenure as head coach will end soon after the T20 World Cup, but Dhoni also doesn't seem to have any plans to remain as coach. Thus, it is unlikely that any insecurities will arise between the two.
Gavaskar said that if both (Dhoni and Shastri) clicked and they come on the same wavelength, Indian cricket will benefit immensely.
It is worth noting that Dhoni is also going to lead CSK in the coming phase of the IPL and has already worked with the Jharkhand team as a mentor.
