WATCH: Virat Kohli reveals why MS Dhoni batted at Number 7 in 2019 World Cup semi-final vs New Zealand

Kohli reveals why MS Dhoni batted at Number 7: The Indian captain opened up on MS Dhoni’s batting position and strike rate.

When Indian batsmen fell like pack of cards in the first semi-final of the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 at Old Trafford, a common query which did the rounds was regarding former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Kohli reveals why MS Dhoni batted at Number 7

While plentiful people inquired about the legendary cricketer not coming in to bat at No. 4 or 5, India captain Virat Kohli answered the question during the post-match press conference. “Look, it’s always, you know, a safer option to look at it from outside and say, ‘Maybe this could have happened’.

Dhoni? Injured? Should be here otherwise.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) July 10, 2019

“I think today he [MS Dhoni] was batting with [Ravindra] Jadeja and there was only Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] to follow after so he had to hold one end together in my opinion and because Jadeja was playing so well you needed a solid partnership and to get a 100 [run] partnership from that situation,” Kohli was quoted as saying.

On Dhoni’s strike rate

Coming in to bat at No. 7 in the 23rd over, Dhoni scored his 73rd ODI half-century albeit in a losing effort. Him scoring 50 (72) with the help of one four and six each at a strike rate of 69.44 wasn’t enough for India to seal a 240-run chase.

Being asked about Dhoni’s low strike rate especially with respect to the required run rate, Kohli considered it to be “perfect tempo” for that situation. Furthermore, the skipper also disclosed a role which Dhoni was given in this World Cup.

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“As I said, when you don’t win in hindsight, a lot of things can reflect in different manners but you have to understand how the game panned out and until what stage did the game go. And you would obviously expect New Zealand to fight back at some stage because the target was steep after losing five or six wickets, but the way they [MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja] batted together, I think it was the perfect tempo for that situation.

“He’s been given that role after the first few games of being in a situation where he can, if the situation’s bad, he can control one end like he did today or if there is a scenario where there are six or seven overs left he can go and strike,” Kohli added. Watch the full video below:

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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