No more skipper, but MSD stays in RPS ‘core group’
NEW DELHI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni may no longer be the captain of Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), but owner Sanjiv Goenka has said he still considers the former India skipper as one of the core members of the team. Speaking at the pre-season press conference on Thursday, Goenka refused to comment on Dhoni’s absence, but said the wicketkeeper-batsman would join the team on April 3. “Our first game is on April 6. Mahi will be with us in Pune from the 3rd. He will have a very good output in the tournament. Steve (Smith) and Mahi have been constantly in touch. They were together even during the team selection. It’s completely amicable,” said Goenka.
Asked for the reasons behind the appointment of Smith as RPS captain in place of Dhoni, Goenka instead went on to lavish praise on the latter. “There has been a lot of talk regarding captaincy. I will say two things, every time I have interacted with Mahi, I came away with some learning.
“He is one of the sharpest brains I have interacted with, and I walk away with tremendous respect for him, as an individual, as a leader, as a player. I am one of his biggest fans,” he said. Meanwhile, new skipper Smith said Dhoni had been supportive despite his removal from captaincy. “We have shared some messages and MS has been very supportive. (My appointment as RPS captain) doesn’t change my professional relationship with him,” Smith stated. Ajinkya Rahane said: “A player like Dhoni is an inspiration. He may no longer be captain, but players will get to learn a lot from him, from how his mind operates before, during and after games,” he said.