MS Dhoni has been appointed as the mentor of the Indian cricket team for the upcoming ICC World T20 2021 and that has been hailed as a masterstroke.
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When one talks about mentorship in cricket, it is more associated with franchise and Twenty20 cricket. Franchises all over the world appoint mentors in order to help the captain and coach prepare a strategy to win. But, in international cricket, with coaches in all departments, a mentor is not looked at as a necessity. But, when the BCCI announced the appointment of MS Dhoni as the mentor of the Indian cricket team for the ICC World T20 2021, it was a masterstroke.
In all the announcements of the squad for the ICC World T20 2021, the entire focus was on MS Dhoni and his ‘comeback’. Ever since his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2019, fans have only seen MS Dhoni in action in IPL. This move will go a long way in addressing a problem that has plagued Indian cricket for the last eight years.
It makes perfect sense to have MS Dhoni in the team considering the larger backdrop of the Indian cricket team. Dhoni is the only captain in the history of the game to have won all three ICC competitions. The 2007 ICC World T20, the 2011 World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy have all come in MS Dhoni’s kitty.
Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, India has not won a single ICC event. They lost in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final to Pakistan and the 2019 World Cup semi-final to New Zealand. In a recent ICC event, India lost the final of the World Test Championship at Southampton.
For far too long, India has either picked the wrong side or have crumbled at vital times under pressure. In ICC events since 2013, either the batting has underwhelmed or the bowling. But, it is also important to point out that MS Dhoni’s captaincy record in ICC events is actually mixed. He failed in the 2009 World T20 and Champions Trophy, did not make a mark in the 2010 and 2012 World T20. In 2014 and 2016, an inspired effort from the opposition saw India’s batting and bowling perform below par. Kohli and Dhoni are now united by one mission and that is an ICC trophy.
With the frustration of the Indian fan mounting, the most important thing that Dhoni will want to instill in the side is the ability to handle tough pressure situations. Dhoni’s ultimate task is to ensure India settles on a good combination in the bowling and the batting. His other major task will be to provide inputs to Kohli and Shastri about the conditions as well as the team composition.
Tactically, there is no one better than Dhoni. The way how he seized upon the pressure situation and maintained an ice-cool composure is what cemented his reputation as ‘Captain Cool.’ His sharp decision-making skills is something that will give Kohli direction and purpose.
Maybe, the arrival of Dhoni will also help Kohli get his assurance back. Perhaps, the two-year drought in his batting might be forged with MS Dhoni’s guidance of tactics. Kohli, as a captain, can follow the template set by Dhoni and focus just on his batting. The arrival of Dhoni could ensure Kohli breaks out of his current rut.
With the IPL starting shortly, it gives all the Indian players the right environment to acclimatize to the conditions. They will be playing for close to a month in the UAE in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai. With the Indian team playing most of their games in Dubai, Dhoni and Kohli will have a close look at all the players.
MS Dhoni continues to captain Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. In 2018, he made a winning comeback by helping CSK win the title. Dhoni had to once again face heartbreak in 2019 when he lost to Mumbai Indians. But, Dhoni faced rock bottom in 2020 when Chennai Super Kings finished seventh. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time. In the current IPL, Dhoni’s CSK has made a good start, still showing that his captaincy is still spot-on.
His record as a tactician can help both batting and bowling. The arrival of Ravichandran Ashwin in the 15-man squad is crucial. Perhaps, Dhoni can have the same tuning with Ashwin in deciding the field a spinner needs. Dhoni will have deep discussions with Rishabh Pant as to how he, along with Kohli and Rohit Sharma, can play a role in decision-making.
With Ravi Shastri’s contract ending soon, appointing a coach in the middle of an ICC event made no sense. Thus, Dhoni can step up as the mentor for the time the World T20 is done.
This current Indian cricket team now has plenty of leaders who have made a big difference in the last decade. Rohit Sharma is the best limited-overs captain but here, he is the vice-captain. Kohli is a de-facto general while Ashwin has also been the captain of the Punjab Kings franchise. Pant is the captain of Delhi Capitals while the arrival of Dhoni ensures that all bases are covered.
India will be hoping that the arrival of Dhoni ensures that the ICC jinx that has plagued the side for close to a decade ends. Kohli’s team is currently on a high but until they do not win an ICC event, they might have to endure more frustration. Perhaps, the arrival of Dhoni will correct that anomaly.
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