What’s the story?
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will become an even better match-winner without the extra burden of captaincy.
Ganguly who has always been an ardent supporter of Dhoni says that since there is nothing to worry about, it could bolster Dhoni’s game and he could be a gun player in the near future.
"A captain sees you differently from the way you see yourself. You need a captain who can push you. MS Dhoni will become a better player post captaincy. Being pushed up the order will be beneficial to the team,’ Ganguly was as quoted by India Today.
The Details
Over the past few days, Ganguly has been in the news for his opinions on MS Dhoni as the Bengal man believes that while Dhoni is a champion ODI player he is not quite suited to T20 cricket and his record in the shortest version where he has only 1 fifty in International T20 is a testament to this theory.
However, Ganguly copped a lot of criticism when Dhoni scored a match-winning 50 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, but the feisty character was not at all reading too much into the talk all around him.
The CAB president still has high regards for the Jharkhand man has he maintains that Dhoni bereft of any pressures of captaincy will do a great job as a player and that he has much to offer to Indian cricket.
In case you didn’t know...
Dhoni has been in the eye of the storm ever since he was removed as the captain of Pune and after Steve Smith played few match-winning innings, Harsh Goenka took a jibe at Dhoni.
However, much like Dhoni as a character responded in a typical fashion with the bat. He has been promoted up the order for Pune and this is bearing results for the team.
What's next?
With the Champions Trophy slated to be held right after the IPL, Dhoni’s form with the bat will be very crucial for the Indian team in England and this is where Ganguly’s statement really makes sense.
A fit and firing Dhoni could be India’s X-factor in the middle order as he has the experience and the potential to be India’s match-winner.
Author's Take
Dhoni displayed some of his authority during the series against England when he smashed a century and showed the importance of his presence in the Indian middle order. Also, there are few wicket-keepers in the game who are as proficient as Dhoni behind the stumps and then there is his leadership skills which is sure the benefit Virat Kohli as leads India for the first time in an ICC tournament.
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