MS Dhoni’s inability to go for big shots in the second India-New Zealand T20 led ex-players like VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar to hint that may be it’s time to give youngsters a chance in the side in place of the former India captain.
However, Sunil Gavaskar had a different opinion. The legend said Dhoni should play the two limited overs formats to maintain his playing habit in top level cricket.
“For a cricketer, it helps if he plays continuously. Because you are in rhythm and in the groove most of the time even if you might not be taking wickets as a bowler or scoring runs as a batsman. Having actual games and match practice is very important,” Gavaskar told NDTV.
“Match practice is fantastic not only for the physical aspect but also for the mental aspect. So, clearly the more cricket anybody plays it is better for him.”
The former India captain played 10 dot balls as the Virat Kohli-led side fell short by 40 runs in a 197-run chase on Saturday. Dhoni scored 49 off 37 balls to be India’s second highest run-scorer.
‘Look into youngsters failure’
Gavaskar added that the responsibility of the loss in the second T20 should be shared by the youngsters in the team as well.
“We do not look at the guys under 30, who actually haven’t done anything but we tend to sort of overlook that. So, we will not have to look at the failure of others in the same innings. Hardik Pandya getting out for one by not picking up a googly. We will not look at that. We will not look at the fact that openers did not give the usual start. We will only point a finger at MS Dhoni. So that is unfortunate. So, that is India for you,” Gavaskar added.
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