MS Dhoni’s appointment, according to Kapil Dev, is a “unique situation”
The fact that MS Dhoni was selected as the team’s mentor was the most talked-about aspect of the Indian squad announcement on Wednesday (8th September). All praised the board’s decision as a masterstroke and described it as a win-win situation for everyone. Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, persuaded the former India captain to join the senior men’s squad. Though he has retired from international cricket, he was eager to help.
Few experts, including cricket Sunil Gavaskar, have already welcomed the BCCI’s decision. Kapil Dev has also jumped on the bandwagon and expressed his opinion on the subject. Google cricket focused on what the Indian cricketing legend said.
Although Dev applauded the initiative, he thought that retired cricketers should have at least a three-year break before returning to national duty. Last year, on August 15, 2020, Dhoni announced his retirement, and it has just been a year. He also represents Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) (CSK).
What Kapil told Outlook India in his recent interview about the appointment of MS Dhoni?
Dev believes Dhoni’s selection by the BCCI is more of an exception. “It is a wise choice. I have always believed that once a cricketer retires, he should return to the game after three to four years, but with the World Cup approaching, this appears to be an exception. Ravi (Shastri) is also suffering from COVID, therefore it appears to be a unique case.”
Sanjeev Gupta, a life member of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), has written to the Apex Council, challenging the BCCI’s decision. Gupta also used Rahul Dravid as an example, claiming that he was instructed to stop coaching the Rajasthan Royals before being hired as the director of the National Cricket Academy.
Ravi Shastri is ecstatic to welcome MS Dhoni to the team once again, this time as a mentor
Meanwhile, current India head coach Ravi Shastri is overjoyed to have Dhoni on-board for the T20 World Cup. He believes it will be a great boost for the squad. That is a notion that a lot of ex-cricketers will also share with him.
MS Dhoni has won it all in the game of cricket. He also has a T20 World Cup to his name. This makes things even better if he can now mentor the team to do that as well. It will not be an easy task but it will not be impossible as well.
“The squad could not have wished for a better situation. The BCCI has given this a lot of consideration and has put plans in place. The presence of MS Dhoni in the dressing room and dugout would be a tremendous boost for the team. On Thursday, Shastri told the Times of India, “It is a fantastic step.”
Why the addition of Dhoni is a huge boost for the Indian side, who want to win the T20 World Cup?
MS Dhoni joining any team is a huge boost in itself. He brings in a lot of insights and positivity to the team. That is something that will help the team achieve more. That will be the idea, as the Indian side looks to win this tournament hosted by the BCCI.
MS Dhoni may have retired from international cricket. However, he is still the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings and in touch with the game. Further, he will be in the UAE for the second phase of the IPL and easily available. To add to that, he already knows a lot of these players from his time with the team and the IPL.
The dressing room will respect his presence and he will be able to guide these players really well, as he has been on top of the game for quite some time. Dhoni is India’s most successful captain so far and the cricketing world, along with the Indian fans appreciate his qualities as a leader. Keeping that in mind, he can bring that much needed guidance and flare that the team is missing at present.
He has been a mentor to many players over the years, including the likes of Virat Kohli and co. His relationship with the current Indian captain is really good as well. With that being said, though he has retired as a player, MS Dhoni can really impart some much-needed guidance for the young budding side, who will be keen in delivering the results that the nation wants.
