MS Dhoni Is Fit Enough To Play Till 2019 World Cup: Chief Selector MSK Prasad
Jan 5, 2017 at 6:43 PM
During the Ranji Trophy semi-final match between Jharkhand and Gujarat in Nagpur, MS Dhoni and chief selector of BCCI MSK Prasad were seen having a brief chat on the benches, and hours later, most successful skipper of India across formats stepped down from his position in limited-over cricket.
Speaking to India Today in an exclusive interview, MSK Prasad explained what wall words were spoken during their brief talk, happened a day before the squad for the England series was about to be picked.
Giving his thoughts on his decision, Prasad said the timing was perfect, looking at the future of Indian One Day cricket and further said looking at his fitness, there is no doubt in admitting that he might play till 2019 World Cup in England.
“Personally it was an emotional moment for him, for us and all the cricket lovers. From a professional point of view, his timing is absolutely perfect, just like his batting and keeping. He is always clear in his thought process. That’s fine. He felt it’s the time to move on and let us respect his decision.”
When asked about how will he cope up playing under Virat Kohli, the player who has grown under his eyes, MSK Prasad said Dhoni is a leader by nature and he will pass his legacy onto Virat Kohli, who the selector has confirmed to replace him as the captain in ODI’s and T20s.
“He is a leader by nature. A natural leader. Whether he is a captain or not, leadership qualities are inbuilt in him. If he is going to be a leader or not, he will contribute and he will still add value to Virat’s captaincy. He will pass on his experience and legacy to him. Just the way all our legendary cricketers saw Mahi growing from an aggressive cricketer to a different role and how he has emerged into a good captain, probably MS will also see Virat emerge into an excellent captain in all three formats of the game.”
Talking about MSD’s chances of making it into the 2019 World Cup, Prasad said looking at his fitness, there’s no doubt he will make it.
Why not? Why not. If he is fit and fine, why not. He is still a champion wicket-keeper batsman.
Virat Kohli is yet to be announced as the captain of India’s limited-over format.