Will M S Dhoni be back in Team India? Will he play the T20 World Cup next year? These are the questions doing rounds among sports-lovers. Team India coach Ravi Shastri has put an end to all debates saying wait till the IPL. It all depends on when Dhoni starts playing and how he is playing during the IPL. IPL becomes a massive tournament because that could be the last tournament after which more or less the team’s final 15 is decided.
Dhoni made himself unavailable for the West Indies tour and took a sabbatical during which he trained with the Para Regiment of the Indian Army. He was also not part of India’s limited-overs squads for series against South Africa and Bangladesh. While images of him training in Ranchi raised expectations of an early comeback, Dhoni was not named in the T20I and ODI squads for the upcoming series against West Indies at home.
Indian cricket legend Laxman has rightly said, “Dhoni will wait with patience to see the performance of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. Whenever he gets an opportunity and he will take a call after the IPL because the way I am seeing it, Dhoni is preparing himself for the IPL. I’m sure he will do well like he has done whenever he plays and leads CSK.” If both these youngsters don’t grab their opportunities, probably there is a thought that Dhoni can come back provided he shows that form in the IPL leading up to the World Cup. Dhoni is quick behind the stumps and his calm and cool composure is needed to win crunch matches.