dailyO
Sports

Will Dhoni-Yuvraj shine under Virat Kohli's leadership?

Advertisement
Rasesh Mandani
Rasesh MandaniJan 12, 2017 | 12:14

Will Dhoni-Yuvraj shine under Virat Kohli's leadership?

It's no surprise that Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni's thanksgiving video after the latter's last game as captain has gone viral. The warmth and fellowship is evident and fans can't get enough of them together. 

Off the field, they are far from being the Jai-Viru pair they may appear. There is no dislike but they stand as very different individuals. Yuvraj has liked his high life while Dhoni is almost a recluse, socially. Neither made an appearance in each other's wedding. 

Advertisement

But give them a bat in hand and a common goal to chase down a target for an Indian win, and the duo combine like no other pair. Dhoni was at the non-striker's end when Yuvraj hit six sixes off a Stuart Broad over at the World T20 in 2007.

Yuvraj was the non-striker when Dhoni smacked Kulasekara for that six at Wankhede that ended India's 28-year-old wait for a World Cup title in 2011. In between these World titles, Yuvraj and Dhoni mastered run chases and set up targets with such mastery in the one-day game that they can safely be called India's all-time best middle-order batsmen. 

The duo after the World T20 title win in South Africa were convinced Indian cricket had found the winning formula in young legs and were brave enough to communicate that to some of the decision-makers of the time. Subsequently, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly, both holding legendary status, lost their places in the one-day game. 

But their paths have crossed for a common target too often, to let conspiracy theories take shape. Dhoni, who became an India player four years after Yuvraj was discovered, pipped him to the post to become India's limited overs captain in 2007 and went on to keep the job till he gave it up last week.

Advertisement

Yuvraj's father Yograj from time to time stirs up a controversy suggesting that captain Dhoni resisted Yuvraj's presence in the Indian squad. 

But that and more such loose talk has never affected their chemistry when they join forces on the pitch. Even in Dhoni's last game as skipper at the CCI, a quick pat on the back from Yuvraj as Dhoni walked in to bat, and together they stepped on the accelerator without anyone realising it. 

kohli-mebed_011217120350.jpg
Their partnership in the warm-up game may have been brief but the quick-fire runs they managed would give new captain Virat Kohli a lot of hope. (Photo: India Today)

Their partnership in the warm-up game may have been brief but the quick-fire runs they managed would give new captain Virat Kohli a lot of hope. If the experienced duo can continue to combine well with results anywhere close to what they produced in their prime, they could become the backbone of Virat's India in coloured clothing. 

In the final leap of their careers though, it will not come easy. Yuvraj maybe the same age as Dhoni but his body over the years has taken a lot more beating with illness and injury.

Dhoni has consciously worked towards a more strenuous fitness routine, indulging in weight training and fat loss, but retaining the same reflexes with the bat as before may not always be in his control.

Advertisement

If Virat hasn't closed shop on his new year goals yet, getting the best out of this match-winning duo should top his list now.

Last updated: January 12, 2017 | 12:14
IN THIS STORY
Please log in
I agree with DailyO's privacy policy