Jharkhand Coach defends MS Dhoni: Jharkhand’s Coach has advocated for the Indian wicket-keeper skipping the Ranji Trophy.
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Former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni last played for India during the ODI series against West Indies at home. Having played the last ODI of the series on November 1 would mean that Dhoni will face a more than two and a half month halt in between international cricket.
In which isn’t much of an issue, the real issue lies in the fact that Dhoni will not play any form of cricket whatsoever during this break. Having been dropped from India’s T20I squad, Dhoni didn’t take part in a couple of T20I series against West Indies and Australia.
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Despite former India cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath raising their voice regarding Dhoni’s non-participation in the Ranji Trophy, the 37-year old cricketer has continued to not be a part of India’s prestigious First-class competition.
Earlier, Dhoni had stated that since he has retired from Test cricket, there is no point in playing the Ranji Trophy.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Jharkhand coach Rajiv Kumar seemed to advocate Dhoni’s decision, saying that him coming and joining the team means someone else misses out. “Yes, there have been talks about this, but you also need to understand that him coming and joining the team means someone else misses out. Do you think MS would want to do that?,” Kumar was quoted as saying.
He went on to add that the youngsters are trying their best to take the opportunities and that Dhoni’s presence in training sessions is always a massive boost for them. “Also, you have to understand that the youngsters in the team are trying to use every opportunity to impress and having Dhoni play the four-day format would be unfair.
“But he is always there to come and help the boys at training whenever he is in Ranchi. I think that is more than helpful as the kids look up to him and spending time with him can change their outlook and thought process,” he added.
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Read some of the latest Twitter reactions on Dhoni below: