India recall Ashwin for T20 World Cup in UAE, Dhoni named mentor
BCCI, IN A CASTING COUP, BRINGS BACK ASHWIN AFTER FOUR YEARS
The Indian cricket board staged a casting coup when they named former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a two-time World Cup winner, as the team mentor during their T-20 World Cup campaign in the UAE in October-November.
The return of ‘Captain Cool’ in the Indian dressing room, more than two years after he walked away for the last time in an Indian shirt during that semi-final heartbreak against New Zealand in 2019 ICC World Cup semi-final in England, almost overshadowed the biggest selectoral surprise of yesterday evening.
Ravichandran Ashwin, the senior off-spinner whose omission during the ongoing Test series against England had been creating a major stir, staged a comeback to white ball cricket after more than four years while the rest of the squad went as per the script barring a few exceptions. Asked how could the Indian cricket board’s top brass manage to convince Dhoni to agree to this role, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said at the virtual interaction with the media: “Mr Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be joining Team India as mentor for the upcoming T20 World Cup. I am glad that MS has accepted BCCI’s offer and he is keen to contribute to the national team once again.
Direction to Team India
MS will work closely with Mr Ravi Shastri as well as other support staff to provide support and direction to Team India.”
Much like several of defining moves of his career, Dhoni’s return to serve Indian cricket in a consultative capacity also came without a fuss.