Dhoni's batting approach has constantly grabbed the headlines lately.
At the start of 2017 when England toured India for a limited-overs series, MS Dhoni had decided to pass the captaincy baton to already established Test skipper Virat Kohli. Since then Team India are doing exceptionally well in white-ball cricket under Kohli.
Despite India’s stellar show, Dhoni’s performances have often been questioned. During the three-match ODI series between England and India in July, Dhoni’s batting approach grabbed the headlines on regular basis.
Following India’s 86-run defeat in the second ODI at Lord’s, questions were raised over Dhoni’s uncharacteristic 37-ball 59 in which he played 31 dot balls. The veteran wicketkeeper faced the same wrath for his 66-ball 42 as India suffered a humiliating 8-wicket defeat in the series-deciding third ODI at Headingley.
In the ongoing Asia Cup, Dhoni got out for a three-ball duck in the opening game against Hong Kong while India didn’t need his batting services in the high-profile clash against Pakistan.
Considering Dhoni’s below-par showing lately, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly has said that the Jharkhand man needs to lift his game to retain his place in the side.
"Asia Cup is a very important tournament for MS Dhoni. He is a great player and has scored a ton of runs but he won't keep getting games just due to this. There is a time limit for everyone. I'm surprised to see that Pant wasn't given a chance in this tournament," Ganguly told India TV.
Dhoni will certainly have to show his prowess with the willow since Team India has quite a few options to replace him. Young Rishabh Pant is one wicketkeeper batsman who is constantly knocking the door of the ODI side. Pant was a part of India’s Test side on England tour and impressed everyone by hitting a swashbuckling century in the fifth Test at The Oval.