Indian team players reveal MS Dhoni’s impact and influence in the side despite recent criticisms and backlash from fans and experts
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MS Dhoni has found himself at the receiving end so far in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2019, with various fans and a few experts slamming him for his ‘lack of intent’ especially during the slog overs of the matches the team hs played so far.
There have even been several opinions that the veteran batsman has become a liability for the team, and that the management has no other option but to back him despite ordinary performances. And, if you are one of them who think it the other way around, then you are on the same page as the Indian players.
Dhoni has always found the backing of his skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma whenever there’s been a popular consensus against him. Even the other players believe that he is still the best judge of situations and does exactly what the situation demands him to do.
What are his teammates’ opinions on MS Dhoni?
In an interaction with the news agency AINS, one of the team members of the Indian team came in defence of the 37-year-old’s innings of 35 runs (of 33 deliveries) versus Bangladesh, when the fans criticised him for not going for the big hits in the death overs, akin to his innings against England in a lost cause.
The player admitted that India has a relatively longer tail than a team like England- who have players with the ability to bat decently well even till number 10. And this is the very reason Dhoni puts a price tag on his wicket and tries to accumulate as many runs as possible without throwing his wicket away.
“Let’s be honest. We are not England when it comes to batting. We have a tail and when Mahi bhai walks in, more often than not, he needs to keep that in mind. He doesn’t have the freedom say a Ben Stokes has because England bat till almost number 10, we don’t. We lost two wickets in the final over against Bangladesh the moment he got out”, the player said.
“He is the man who has answers to every question that we have”
The player further added that Dhoni has several plans in mind in case a particular one doesn’t work on that day or moment.
“As for his experience on the field, he is the man who has the answer to every question we have. If Plan A doesn’t work, he gives you B, C and D. In fact, even during the game against Bangladesh on Tuesday, did you notice him constantly guiding Rishabh Pant and telling him about the areas he should target? You cannot buy that experience in the market,” the player further added.
Another player said that Dhoni’s presence gives assurance to captain Kohli who is happy to field in the deep in the final overs as he is convinced that the veteran can handle the fielders and the positions where they field.
“Virat bhai can stand in the deep and cut the important boundaries because Mahi bhai is standing behind the wicket to guide the bowlers. The best part is that when we walk out to field, after a couple of overs he will tell the bowlers the exact areas to bowl on and how the bowler needs to work on his speed and variations. That is irreplaceable let me tell you,” the player explained.
