At a time when Cricket pundits are debating on wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni place in Indian squad, given the fact that he has not impressed them with the bat the way he used to do and also, India is now looking at 2019 World Cup, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has allayed this fear and suggested that there is nobody who can replace MS Dhoni in the team.
Here are the five reason why Virender Sehwag feels no body can replace MS Dhoni?
Rishabh Pant is still young
Emerging wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant is good but he would also need time to replace MS Dhoni feels Sehwag. He said it can only happen after 2019. It’s then when we should think about Dhoni’s replacement. Till then let Pant gain experience.”
Middle order is key, none can match Dhoni there
Sehwag said that no other player has the kind of experience which MS Dhoni can provide in the middle and lower order. “We should not worry about whether Dhoni is scoring runs or not. We should only pray that MS Dhoni is fit till 2019 World Cup. The experience that he has in the middle and the lower middle order, no one has that,” he said.
No two periods are identical
Like life, the beauty of sports is that no two periods are identical. You will have to deal with it. There are days when you make runs and there will be a dry spell. Like in business, every year you don’t make profits
A regular wicket-keeper is key for 2019 World Cup
Shewag is of the view that an experience wicket keeper is must for the game. “I would never want a guy, who is not a natural ‘keeper. It’s not keeping 20 overs in Indian Premier League. During a 50-over match, one missed stumping or missed catch can change the course of the match. It’s not a risk worth taking,” he said.
Middle order should get enough opportunities before 2019 World Cup
The middle-order that would play in the World Cup along with the bowlers should be given enough opportunities, so by the time of World Cup, they should have played close to 100 ODIs each. They should be ready to handle each and every challenging situation thrown at them. Experience always enables you to handle pressure better. They can then win you matches in crunch situations. If they are not given that many chances, they could be the weak link.
