‘First time Dhoni has started training so early for IPL’
MUMBAI: Former India seamer Irfan Pathan has backed MS Dhoni to make a roaring comeback on the field as the wicketkeeper-batsman gears up for his first top-flight cricket assignment since the World Cup last year.
There have been a lot of speculations around Dhoni’s future ever since he took a sabbatical from cricket post India’s loss to New Zealand in the semi-final of the World Cup last year, with the upcoming IPL being seen as a big test for his future with the T20 World Cup looming. The former India captain who remains at the helm of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), began training with the franchise early this month.
“He has started practising early this season, which was never the case before,” Pathan said during an interaction ahead of the Road Safety World Series starting on Saturday in Mumbai.
“MS Dhoni generally practises late for the IPL, but he has started early, he is working hard and looks focussed. When I met him a few years back, he did say ‘yaar thoda budha ho gaya hoon’ (mate, I am growing old), but I told him, ‘a lion never gets old’ and I am sure you will see him roaring back on the field again,” he said.
Pathan said failing to get strong starts was one of the biggest reasons for India’s recent 0-2 defeat to New Zealand in the Test series. “As batsmen you have to provide good starts to the team. If you lose early wickets then the opposition team has the chance to bowl at your No 3 and 4s, which then becomes a different ball game,” he said.
“If you can look into Indian team’s history and see the tours where the team has done well, their openers have done well and then all that has helped the bowlers too. You have to take 20 wickets, no denying that, but opening batsmen carry a lot of responsibility,” he added.
Pathan heaped praise on KL Rahul, whose absence from the Test side despite being in rich form came as a surprise. “The level at which he is batting… scoring runs is one thing but the way he scores his is another. He should play all the formats. But just do not make him keep wickets in Test cricket,” Pathan said. The former seamer backed India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who look out of rhythm for most part of the New Zealand tour. “Any bowler coming back needs time. But he will attain his best in the IPL, which I am sure about. Bumrah should not bother about criticism, and knowing him he would not have given too much heed to it,” Pathan said.
Talking about the India women’s team which will be playing in the final of the Twenty20 World Cup against Australia on Sunday, Pathan said he expects big players like captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana to play big roles.
“They have played brilliant cricket. Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana have not been among runs but despite that the team has played so well, which shows that a lot of confidence is being instilled into the other young players,” he said.