Kolkata: The chairman of National Selection committee MSK Prasad on Thursday willfully admired Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s accute knowledge of “perfect timing” to sign off as the captain of limited overs formats and hinted at the prestige going to Virat Kohli.
He also gave probable clues that Captain cool will be in the team against England for the ODI series beginning January 15. “Had Mahi taken the decision one year or even six months earlier, I would have been a bit worried. But I salute him for his sense of perfect timing. He knew that Virat is now a proven customer who has done exceptionally well as a leader in Test. So it is a correct decision by Dhoni. It showed that he had the best interest of Indian cricket in his mind.”
Being a former India stumper, he is of opinion that purely as a cricketer, Dhoni still has a fair amount of cricket left in him. “I still feel he has a couple of years of cricket left in him and as a wicketkeeper-batsman, he can still make an invaluable contribution to the team’s cause.”
Prasad, being crystal clear with his thoughts as always, feels that dhoni rightfully achieved the worth of a Captain and did justice to the post.
“What else was left for him to achieve as a captain? He has achieved everything under the sun in his tenure as India captain. He has won World T20, 50-over World Cup, Champions Trophy — all three global trophies. Apart from that he has won IPL, Champions League T20. He has nothing to prove to anybody. He has been a great leader,” said Prasad.
Being asked what made Dhoni the captain that he was, Prasad said, “I believe his match reading was brilliant. That’s why he was quick on his feet and could assess any situation with a lot of clarity. For a captain, foresight is an important aspect and he had that in abundance.”
Prasad feels that Dhoni’s stay in the team will be the absolute guide and inspiration for Kohli, who will now have to shoulder the high held burden of captaincy across three formats along with his batting career, continuing the legacy.
“Dhoni’s presence will help Kohli as he now captains across three formats. Had he quit, Virat would have missed out on his immense experience.”
Prasad said that while Dhoni and Virat differed greatly as personalities, both have always had the same flare of victory when it came to the urge of winning matches for India.
Prasad also said, “Dhoni never gave away anything in terms of body language while Kohli has always been aggressive. What I have loved about Dhoni is that he will never give away anything as to what is going on in his mind. That’s his personality. He can keep things submerged in him. But deep down, both Dhoni and Kohli’s urge to win matches for India is equal. There is no letdown in intensity.”
However, the chairman of selectors differed in opinion that with no pressure of captaincy now, Dhoni would once again be promising us with his mesmerising moments of finishers and his jaw-dropping helicopter shots that mark victories of the country.
“I don’t think it would be fair on anybody’s part to equate his batting with captaincy. I don’t think these two were co-related. Yes, it was purely an issue of form and nothing else,” stated Prasad.
(With inputs from PTI)