‘Player like Dhoni comes once in a life time, never write him off’
CHANDIGARH: A million hearts were shattered when MS Dhoni fell for 10 during Rising Pune Supergiant’s chase against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 final.
His team was defeated and Dhoni lost out on yet another opportunity to close out a game with his batting. However, if former national selector Vikram Rathour is to be believed, he is still the best finisher .
“A player like Dhoni comes once in a life time. He made a big impact not only with his captaincy but also with his tremendous batting skills in the middle order. You cannot dismiss Dhoni so easily. His role as a finisher will be very crucial in the Champions Trophy,” said Rathour.
“The way he paces his innings and runs between the wickets changes the complexion of tricky match situations in India’s favour.”
KUMBLE’S ROLE
The former cricketer, who played six Tests and seven ODIs for India between 1996 and 1997, praised the MSK-Prasad led selection committee for selecting the best possible team for the Champions Trophy.
“The selectors have done a good job by announcing a wellbalanced team. I know Rishabh Pant’s name was doing the rounds for selection. He is immensely talented but he needs more exposure before getting into the national team. He can wait and get into the team with better preparation.
“Moreover, Dinesh Karthik was a superb replacement for the injured Manish Pandey,” added Rathour, who had coached the Punjab senior team in Ranji Trophy in the 2011-2012 season, and then was appointed national selector from North Zone.