Yuvraj Singh hails MS Dhoni’s ‘cricket brain’ ahead of 2019 World Cup

Yuvraj Singh hails MS Dhoni: The veteran cricketer was wax lyrical about the Indian wicket-keeper batsman.

There is no hiding to the fact that forme India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s spot in the Indian ODI squad had been a matter of concern for both the Indian team management and fans.

Coming on the back of a worst year in ODIs (in terms of number of runs scored), Dhoni turned the table during the ODI series in Australia. Having won the ‘Man of the Series’ award for scoring three half-centuries in as many matches, Dhoni silencing his critics came as a respite for his supporters which included the team management.

In the same period, there were mixed reactions about Dhoni’s place in the side. Some eminent cricketers backing him during his lean patch spoke highly about the potential of the 37-year old cricketer.

Among the latest cricketers to be vocal about Dhoni is veteran India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Speaking during an event in Mumbai, Yuvraj hailed Dhoni’s cricketing brain and highlighted his knack of aiding the junior players having it in it to have an impact on the team’s performance.

“I think Mahi [Dhoni] has a great cricket brain. As a wicket-keeper, you are in the best position to monitor the game and he has done that fantastically over the years. He has been a great captain. [He’s] with the young players and guiding Virat [Kohli] all the time,” Yuvraj was quoted as saying.

Regarding Dhoni, a massive conundrum also lies regarding his batting position. While he usually bats at No. 5 these days, there are murmurs of promoting him up the order at No. 4. Being asked about the same, Yuvraj’s answer gave hints about his reliance on Dhoni’s experience. “That you have to ask Dhoni, which number he has to bat,” he said.

Wishing Dhoni luck before the ICC Cricket World Cup, Yuvraj mentioned that his importance will be important in decision-making. “I feel his presence is very important in decision-making. He had a fantastic tournament in Australia, and it is good to see him hit the ball how he used to do. I wish him all the best,” he added.

Much like stand-in India captain Rohit Sharma and Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj also opened about teenage batsman Shubman Gill making his national debut in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand.

“I was excited to see him [Gill] play for India. It is amazing, how he has improved so much. He came back from the [India] A tour, scored lot of runs in domestic cricket, straightaway got an opportunity,” Yuvraj said about his junior from Punjab.