Following the astronomical rise in Virat Kohli’s career as a batsman and then as Team India’s skipper is further indomitable to some extent, and it’s eventually running somewhat parallel to what the audacity of Mahendra Singh Dhoni has already brought as a dynamic leader and then as a batter, in the contemporary cricket – to grab the headlines.
As the clock is ticking, the constructive criticism seems to be a far distant dream for the embroiled cricket fanatics, who believe in just winning out on the argument in a nutshell other than die-hard fans and experts, who understand the game.
So much so, the heated argument off-the-field could further push for actual bodily harm just like what Ben Stokes did to the reportedly former British soldier in Bristol street-brawl.
However, the professionals on the field have already learned the nicety of the gentleman’s game while stepping-up under the national allegiance.
The 28-year-old Kohli, who is a household name, has had already equalled the 30 ODI centuries alongside former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting, as his side matter most than personal milestones.
The ‘King’ Kohli has often been the advocate of making changes and doing the experiment right from the word go, but this doesn’t reflect the grudge against gloveman Dhoni on the professional and personal grounds, as the experimentation has been taking to place since 2010.
Is Experimentation Bane or Boon?
In his defiant pressers, the batting mainstay Kohli has also maintained by saying he has learnt a lot from his senior teammate Dhoni, as there is much to be done other than experimentation to prepare the team for 2019 World Cup.
However, when Dhoni was playing his overall 300th match in the 50-over competition in Sri Lanka, Kohli in his stirring speech revealed and admitted the fact by referring the Ranchi lad will always be India’s skipper.
“You will always be our captain,” the Facebook page of Indian Cricket Team quoted MS Dhoni.
When we take a look at the happenings from the past, some of the factions were eager to see Kohli lead India across formats – which has had to happen to consider the future prospects in gentleman’s game.
Well, there is nothing wrong about Kohli pushing his senior campaigner into a situation which hasn’t witnessed any progress and at the same time testing the ability of a youngster. Also, it is too early to put all the blame on skipper, who has shown aggression – to lift the spirit of the time.
In 2017, Dhoni played at number five for 12 times out of 23 games India have played. He has batted at number 6 7 times and at number 7 4 times.
“I always felt the number four position was the serious position to go and bat for my team,” Dhoni said in a press conference in one of his press conferences.
However, in particular, the demand of the situation have had forced him for experimentation which didn’t meet the expectations hitherto, and he knew it well before facing the barrage of the questions while going into the dead rubber on October 1 in Nagpur.
More often, the cricketers used to go through a lot – to live a sparkling and controversial life simultaneously in the contemporary times.
Ultimately, the voices which grow louder to some extent in the cricketing circles for Dhoni’s batting promotion are supposed to be correctly supported by the staggering numbers in the 50-over format set by the unorthodox batter himself.
Captain backs captain:
Team India’s vanguard Dhoni might be lacking in performing in concurrent fixtures, but he has again shown a glimpse of what he has been for the national side against the Sri Lankan recently.
Dhoni has already left a solid impact with his unwavering faith in particular on Kohli, who is aiming to do well while following the footsteps of his ex-skipper.
While standing at the defining moment when nothing goes India’s way, clueless Kohli relied on street-smart MS Dhoni, who genuinely holds the key with thinking cap on which is being interestingly and equally supported by skipper Kohli himself while stationing himself at the cushioned boundary ropes.
The best part of the Dhoni being with the team is that he has taken India to a new high owing to his adaptability, cricketing acumen tactical leadership behind the wickets while thriving on his excellence day after another.
As generational change go, a new leader was born in the ambitious Kohli.
Following Kohli’s aggressive approach, Dhoni might not be in sync with him, but the firebrand of cricket is aware what Dhoni has achieved since 2007 Twenty20 World Cup.
As the misery continued to run after Dhoni, he kept focusing on his game while knitting the unit after bursting onto the international scene against Bangladesh way back in 2004.
Following the glaring mistakes owing to the calculations, Dhoni did fail many-a-times, but his style of captaincy and finishing the matches have had raised the bar of Indian cricket.
Ruthless in approach while relying on his attitude, Kohli has been stark with decisions at times, but cricket in itself has found a champion in Kohli. Kohli has learnt a lot under Dhoni’s tutelage and as I would like to put it in the plain by saying both have been the beacon of hope for the gentleman’s game.
The predecessor and successor have had enjoyed the stupendous careers averaging over staggering 50s in ODIs.
Indeed, Kohli is not doing justice with the household name by not promoting up the order, as Dhoni could still through a punch above his weight.
Dhoni rose to the occasion on a batting radar:
After Hardik Pandya’s No.4 position became a topic of debate among the die-hard followers and ‘overnight’ cricket experts, which further put the finger on the skipper Kohli, for not sending his former skipper up-the-order in the fourth One-day international when India had a decent start to chase down the target of 334
It’s hard to be consistent while batting at different positions, but Dhoni as a professional and prominent face in the national set-up has made his case stronger by averaging over 46 while batting at five different positions which were eventually followed by occasional blips.
The 37-year-old Dhoni has indifferent years with the bat, but he has subsequently shown his calibre by playing a significant role with the bat throughout the years.
While batting at number four, Dhoni has scored 1,223 runs at an average of 58.86. He also registered 11 half-centuries and a solitary hundred.
Moreover, Dhoni scored most number of runs while batting at No. 6. Although, not technically sound, but the batsman has earned runs at his will. He smashed 3,823 runs at an average of 46.62; as he went on to collect 28 fifties and a hundred.
Batting at the third position in ODIs, Dhoni averages a staggering 82.75 in 16 innings, as he amassed 993 runs in which he smashed two hundreds and six fifties.
After relinquishing captaincy, Dhoni made the admission by saying he wants to bat up the order and his statistics prove his ability.
Overall in ODIs, MS Dhoni is averaging 51.90 after playing 305 matches.
Dhoni has further been a beacon of hope for Men in Blue while being at the helm to lead from the front, as he oversaw the three major ICC title triumphs; ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa, 2011 World Cup at home, and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales.
Owing to the face-lift, Kohli rein in following his excellent performances – to revive odyssey of India cricket.
Is Dhoni finished as a finisher?
As Dhoni has also gone through the barren patch, he was equally enjoying playing with the numbers, coming into the sight as the ray of hope for the limited-overs cricket while batting higher positions Dhoni’s capability reflected owing to his grand stature.
It’s the age factor that also plays a crucial role in athlete’s performance and Dhoni has been a prime advocate of the fitness, as he admitted the fact that he doesn’t own the tag and eventually won’t be able to finish the match every time on high.
However, Dhoni is still one of the fittest cricketers across the globe and should be given a run in the same groove by allowing him to bat up-the-order and bring plenty to India’s limited-overs basket.
If truth to be told – Kohli has been the firepower for India while seizing on every opportunity, as Dhoni himself became a backroom instructor while acknowledging the efforts of promising youngsters in the national fold.
Concluding, Dhoni’s cricketing career speaks volumes about him, as he has claimed 585 catches and 165 stumpings while smashing 1,374 boundaries and 326 sixes which further saw him register 16 hundreds and exactly hundred half-centuries across all formats.