Here's Why Despite All The Doubts On His Form, MS Dhoni Is Definitely Playing The 2019 World Cup
The man is still the best keeper we have.
A cacophony of critics - who are questioning former Indian captain MS Dhoni¡¯s form with the bat and how his best days are behind ¨C notwithstanding, the wicketkeeper-batsman isn¡¯t going anywhere too soon. At a time when the chorus against Dhoni had reached a crescendo, a very reputed cricketer cracked a witty one-line question - who will captain the side in the 2019 World Cup in England?
That is the kind of reputation Dhoni, a veteran of 331 ODI matches, has while his detractors are on a different page. For those who complained about the unfair assessment of Dhoni can now rejoice about the fact that the selectors themselves are of the opinion that the former 2011 World Cup-winning captain is still the best wicketkeeper in India. Consequently, there isn't much too much to be read into his axing from the Indian T20 team.
It is also understood that Dhoni won't be the only wicketkeeper in the 15-member squad that will be eventually picked for next year's World Cup. Based on form and fitness, Rishabh Pant is the leading choice as the second wicketkeeper but the selectors aren't shutting the door on Dinesh Karthik either.
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and captain Virat Kohli and Dhoni are certainties while Ambati Rayudu looks quite settled at No. 4. Between Kedar Jadhav and Manish Pandey ¨C the No. 5 slot also looks quite settled. However, the selectors will have to take a hard call on whether to opt for an extra opener in KL Rahul or alternately pick a formidable middle-order batsman.
Reuters
On the bowling front, the spinners' slot still looks open. With chinaman Kuldeep Yadav and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal given the role to pick wickets for India in the middle overs, the selectors are also spoilt for a choice to pick the third spinner or the third pacer. Depending on Hardik Pandya's fitness and form, the selectors have the option of looking at three bowlers each in both pace and spin departments.
It is unlikely that the selectors are going to opt for a regular third spinner at the cost of a regular batsman. There is also a push from the team management for an extra left-arm seam bowler in Khaleel Ahmed. Of course, Ravindra Jadeja is forcing his way up and showing his all-round prowess in the shorter version of the game, but he is only an alternate for the absent Pandya in the all-round slot. With Jadhav too having a ball with a sling-arm action as a spinner, only time can tell how the real combination will turn out to be.
Reuters
With the Committee of Administrators emphasising the need to stop constant chopping and changing and instead boosting the team members with a sense of security, the World Cup squad could end up as follows, of course subject to no injuries or sudden dips in form:
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja/Khaleel Ahmed, KL Rahul/ Manish Pandey, Umesh Yadav/ Mohammed Shami
