Srikkanth backs Dhoni: Former Indian opening batsman wants the selectors to pick MS Dhoni in India’s World Cup team.
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Former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni has surely got the opinions coming on his side after him scoring two half-centuries in as many matches in the ongoing series against Australia.
In two matches, Dhoni has scored 106 runs at an average of 106 and a strike rate of 70.66. While Dhoni and the Indian would be wanting the strike rate to go up, watching him back among the runs is a development in the right direction. The fact that his last half-century before this series had come against Sri Lanka at Dharamsala 13 months ago calls for enough respite among his teammates.
Former India opening batsman Kris Srikkanth has become the latest personality to advocate for Dhoni as far as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is concerned. In an interview with The Times of India, Srikkanth highlighted on the importance of a senior player like Dhoni in the World Cup.
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“If I was the chairman of the selection committee, I would pick him for the 2019 World Cup for sure. The World Cup is a different cup of the tea altogether, where we will need a senior cricketer like him. He’ll be a guiding factor on the field to the captain and the team. His importance will be felt in crunch situations. He may not be the big hitter he was before…that’s a different issue, but he’s still got it in him,” Srikkanth said.
Much like his renowned opening partner Sunil Gavaksar’s opinion on Dhoni, Srikkanth said that everyone will have to accept the fact that Dhoni won’t be as consistent as he once was and that his importance goes beyond just runs coming out of his bat.
“You have to see the importance of Dhoni as a package and not just as a batsman or a wicket-keeper. Debates and ups and downs will always be there. You’ll be a hero in one match and a zero in another. That’s part and parcel of series. Pant can be in a team as a batsman. Even with Dhoni being in the side. Pant is very good and will be a big contender for a spot,” he added.
