The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League was set to be a testing ground for former skipper MS Dhoni. While some felt he was past his prime, head coach Ravi Shastri had made it clear that the IPL will decide Dhonis fate along with some others who were vying for a spot in the team for the T20 World Cup at the end of the year.

Speaking on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, Krishnamachari Srikkanth said: “I am not going to be diplomatic. I am talking about if I was the chairman of the selection committee, what would I do. If the IPL does not happen then his chances are very, very bleak. Because straightaway, in my opinion, KL Rahul will be the wicketkeeper-batsman. Rishabh Pant, I still think he might be a bit of a doubt, but I believe that Rishabh Pant is highly talented.

“So, I wouldn’t mind taking him along with the squad, but definitely, if the IPL doesn’t happen, then Dhoni will have a difficult time getting back into the team for the T20 World Cup. Let’s be very honest about it. He is absolutely fit, he is a legend, he is brilliant. I am a great fan of Dhoni myself. But the question is for the World Cup team. So you’ll have to put the Indian team first and then the individuals.”

‘Don’t push Dhoni to quit’

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain said that it was best to not push Dhoni into retirement because once he is gone, there will be no coming back.

“Is Dhoni still good enough to get into the Indian side? It is as simple as that. That should apply for anyone across the board. What I have seen of Dhoni, I still think he has a huge amount to offer to Indian cricket. Yes, there have been one or two occasions where he has got it wrong in run chases, like that World Cup game against England. But in general, Dhoni is still a really good talent.

“And be careful what you wish for because once Dhoni is gone, there is no getting him back. There are some legends of the game who are once in a generation cricketers, don’t push him into retirement early. Only Dhoni knows his mental state and in the end selectors select,” he said.

‘Forever indebted to Dhoni’

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson said that the ability to trust players and keep faith in them is what sets Chennai Super Kings apart from other franchises. Watson had won the IPL title in the inaugural season with the Rajasthan Royals and a decade later, he won it again with CSK in 2018.

“You can go for 10 games not scoring runs and still get picked. Last season, thank you to Dhoni and Stephen Fleming for keeping the faith,” he said in an Instagram live session on CSK’s handle.

“Every other franchise would have been ‘You are gone. Thank you for coming, but you are sitting and you are running the drinks’,” he said.

He smashed 117 off 57 balls in an innings that included 11 fours and eight sixes in the 2018 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad to almost single-handedly take CSK to victory. He almost repeated the heroics the next year against Mumbai Indians, scoring 80 off 59 but CSK fell incredibly short of MI’s total of 149.

Watson had experienced a lean run in the early part of that season but started firing towards the latter stages.

“Through that period, unfortunately I felt like I was batting well but I was just not scoring runs and that kept going on and on. At some stage I was feeling after a couple of games that they are going to have to move me on, but they didn’t,” said Watson.

“And then when things turned around, which I knew it would at some stage, I thanked MS and Fleming for keeping the faith, and they said there was never any doubt,” he said.

“And that’s phenomenal. That made me feel 10-foot tall. That’s the power of amazing leadership. To know when to stick with people you believe in, and that’s amazing for me. And I am forever indebted to those guys.”

Agencies