Dhoni’s India return was subject to his performance for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, but with the tournament as good as gone, Dhoni can no longer just walk into the side, even if the pandemic subsides and cricket is set to restart.
Even as MS Dhoni’s India future continues to remain a mystery, chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav says he can really do with the former captain turning up again for the national team. As per Kuldeep’s admission, Dhoni – who hasn’t played since India’s World Cup exit last July – is fit and should return to the team.
“I am of course missing MS Dhoni. Whenever you play with a senior player, you become fond of them and start missing them and their presence.” Kuldeep told Sportskeeda in a chat. “As far as his retirement is concerned, it is MS Dhoni’s decision and it should be left to him. There is no point for us to debate on that. He is very fit and I personally feel he should play for India. As a fan, I absolutely love him. If he plays, it would be easier for us [India].”
Dhoni’s India return was subject to his performance for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, but with the tournament as good as gone, Dhoni can no longer just walk into the side, even if the pandemic subsides and cricket is set to restart.
Furthermore, former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had informed last October that the selectors had ‘moved on’ from Dhoni, which is a strong hint that his time with the Indian team may be up. And if that doesn’t suffice, the fact that KL Rahul has adapted to the wicketkeeper’s role so well makes Dhoni’s comeback even trickier.
Moving away from Dhoni, Kuldeep stressed on former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne’s role in shaping his career. The two go back to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2018-19, where Warne was spotted advising Kuldeep and right after his little session, the chinaman grabbed a five-wicket haul against Australia in Sydney. Calling Warne the No. 1 spinner of all time, Kuldeep hopes to one day emulate his idol.
“Shane Warne is the greatest spinner I have ever seen. He has had a huge role to play in my career also. I learnt a lot from him and tried to inculcate all his qualities. I thought even if I manage to emulate him by 50 percent, I would have achieved a lot. And, he is undisputedly my No.1 spinner of all time,” he said.
CRICKET Updated: May 08, 2020 13:24 IST
