Virat Kohli will take years to be a Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not known to show his emotions on the cricket field. When India won the ICC World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in April 2011, he preferred to stay away from the arc lights and let Sachin Tendulkar enjoy the moment.
At the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday, though, there was a lump in Dhoni's throat as he spoke about Team India's massive defeat to Australia in the semi-finals. For a man who has been under intense scrutiny all through his cricketing career, handling pressure is something like a fireman doing his daily job of attending distress calls.
Yet, the Dhoni we have known and the Dhoni who spoke after the defeat in Sydney seemed different. For once, it became clear that years of toil and travel have taken their toll on him emotionally, though in sheer physical terms, he has said he is fine and will not take a call on his ODI career till the end of the ICC World T20 in 2016. Retirement is a personal matter.
When Dhoni did badly as Test captain in England, fans and the media bayed for his blood. Finally, when push came to shove, Dhoni quietly said he was retiring from Test cricket Down Under last year and Virat Kohli was installed as the captain. Even now, there are some doubting Thomases who wonder if Dhoni needs to continue in ODIs, as there is no guarantee he will be around for the 2019 ODI World Cup. But then, this is India and not Australia where skipper Michael Clarke announces a day before the World Cup final he is bidding goodbye to ODIs.
The way Dhoni has played in the World Cup, kept wickets and backed the young Turks in the side, has been truly inspirational. Comparing captains of different eras is not appropriate at most times but Dhoni has shown he is in a different league altogether when it comes to the 50-over format.
We had Mohammad Azharuddin lead in three World Cups and Kapil Dev the winning captain in 1983 and also in 1987. But it is hard to imagine an Indian captain like Dhoni who will one day win you the World Cup and be around four years later to again lead the campaign with panache.
As one who has never put self before the team, Dhoni backs his players to the hilt. If you compare the two Indian teams of 2011 and 2015, there is a vast difference in terms of players' experience. In 2011, you had the virtual who's who from Virender Sehwag to Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar to Yuvraj Singh, plus a more seasoned bowling attack.
Statistics speak for themselves. The current Indian side which played in this World Cup has eight players who hadn't even featured in 100 ODIs. And with a team like this, if Dhoni was able to guide them into the semifinals, it's a fantastic feat. Barring Dhoni (259 ODIs), Suresh Raina (215 ODIs), Virat Kohli (158 ODIs) and Rohit Sharma (135 ODIs), the rest are all below the 100 ODI mark. Dhoni has spoken about how he is just 33 and wishes to continue.
At a time when vice captain Virat Kohli is being touted as the next India ODI captain, it is clear Dhoni cannot be eased out of the team as a player or captain. For all his class and skills, Kohli still comes short in a few areas, especially while dealing with the media. Kohli would do well to wait for a while and be groomed further as the next ODI skipper and let Dhoni handle the side for the next one year in the shorter format.
There is one school of thought which believes if Michael Clarke can retire at 34, Dhoni, 33, also needs to move on. In India, a player rarely takes a call on retirement. A player can say he is available but it is up to the selectors whether they want him or not. A word of praise is a must for the Indian cricket fan. Even though the team lost by a huge margin, there was no outrage at home. It's as if the fans have also matured like the young side which MSD commanded.