In India, when people talk about cricket, it is almost impossible not to mention MS Dhoni. MS Dhoni has been a pioneer for the Indian team in the last 15 years. Ever since he made his international debut way back in 2004, MS Dhoni has helped Indian cricket reach the summit on the international cricketing circuit.
Having won almost everything that there is to, MS Dhoni has been quietly away from the field since the World Cup defeat against New Zealand in the semi-final of the tournament. Now that there are unending rumours and speculations of about his international career, former Indian chief selector, Syed Kirmani, who brought Dhoni into the national side, has narrated how Dhoni was selected for the India National Cricket Team.
It was a sequence well-documented in his biopic as well. However, one important bit the film missed covering was Dhoni’s selection for that match, for which the credit goes to Kirmani.
Syed Kirmani Opens Up On MS Dhoni’s Inclusion In The Indian Team
“I have never disclosed this before but here is how Dhoni was picked. I and Pranab Roy – my co-selector from East Zone – were watching a Ranji Trophy match. I’m not sure which match it was since it was a long time ago, but Pranab Roy is proof. He said to me ‘there is this keeper batsman from Jharkhand, who is a very promising youngster and deserves selection’,” Kirmani told Hindustan Times in an exclusive chat.
“I asked him ‘is he keeping wickets in this match?’ Pranab said ‘no but he is fielding at fine leg.’ That is when I got Dhoni’s stats from the last two years to look into. And Wow! There was terrific consistency in his batting ability. Without even seeing him keep wickets, I suggested that Dhoni be selected for East Zone straightaway. And the rest is history,” Kirmani added.
Former Cricketers Divided On MS Dhoni’s Return To Team India
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star batsman Suresh Raina said MS Dhoni did not show any signs of ageing and that he was hitting the big sixes at will, as usual during the training camp in Chennai. Laxmipathy Balaji, the bowling coach of Chennai Super Kings, also vouched for MS Dhoni’s return.
On the other hand, former wicketkeeper-batsman, Deep Dasgupta had said that MS Dhoni should have kept playing domestic cricket if he aspired a return to the India National Cricket Team. Kris Srikkanth also noted that if the IPL does not take place, Dhoni’s return looks impossible. Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra also had similar views to those of Srikkanth.