T20WC 2020: 3 reasons why Team India needs MS Dhoni for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020

The IPl 2020 is supposed to be MS Dhoni's chance to stake a claim for T20 World Cup 2020 spot.

Whether MS Dhoni will make it into the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020, has become a national question. Dhoni has not played competitive cricket since July of 2019 when India last played New Zealand in the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup 2019.

Since then, he went on a sabbatical with selectors trying Rishabh Pant and then KL Rahul in his place in ODIs and T20Is. Pant’s continued poor show behind the stumps and even in front of them with the bat meant that KL Rahul got the chance to don the gloves and got the confidence of Kohli as well for the shortest format of the game.

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Dhoni was supposed to audition for the T20 World Cup in the upcoming IPL 2020, where he is set to lead the Chennai Super Kings. However, with the IPL 2020 in doldrums due to the rapid spreading coronavirus in the country and BCCI suspending all cricket; the question remains on whether Dhoni will get a chance to show that he has what it takes to make a return.

Team COC, however, presents to you three reasons why MS Dhoni is still valuable for the Indian team especially keeping the T20 World Cup 2020 in mind and why he should be included in the team again.

Check out the 3 reason why Team India needs MS Dhoni for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020

Still fit as a fiddle

Despite the fact he is 38-years-old MS Dhoni is still fit as he was ever before. He might have not played cricket since July 2019, but he has kept himself fit by doing his usual fitness routines and other things. He has to be one of the fittest cricketers in the world even today.

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We have seen him racing a 100m dash with Hardik Pandya and still beating him with a fair margin. He did the same with other teammates and has come out on top regularly. Dhoni was seen hitting sixes like the older times during the recent practice sessions for the Chennai Super Kings and looked like the clock had turned back.

MS Dhoni has shown that he can hold his own with the newer generation of cricketers who are into gymming and six-pack abs thanks to his genetics and strict discipline in life which has kept him match-ready fit despite not playing cricket for so long.  

Can relieve pressure on Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul

At the moment, the Indian team has to resort to asking KL Rahul donning the gloves in the limited-overs matches on the tour to New Zealand, despite Rishabh Pant being part of the team. It was more due to Pant’s failure to grasp the numerous opportunities he got from the selectors since Dhoni’s sabbatical.

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Pant failed to improve his keeping behind the stumps, for which he was chastised by the crowd every time he made a blunder in any match. His technical flaws behind the stumps were highlighted by former India wicketkeepers like Farokh Engineer and Nayan Mongia.

His bad performance with the gloves translated to his batting as well, as he failed to live up to his reputation as a big-hitter and his tendency to get out playing bad shots at the most inopportune times has left the fans and selectors frustrated.

Rahul’s good form with the bat led him to keep wickets as well when Pant got injured and he has kept well as per his abilities. However, if MS Dhoni is brought back into the team, both Rahul and Pant will be free of the immense pressure they have of the dual roles.

More so Rahul, as he will be free to play as a proper batsman and Pant will better his game under the tutelage of MS Dhoni. Dhoni has been and is still perhaps one of the best keepers in the world and gives a surety to the captain and bowlers that difficult catches will also be taken.

Vast experience will help the Indian team down under

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have already credited MS Dhoni and his guidance from behind the stumps for their success. Dhoni’s experience and keen instincts for the game have always come in handy for the Indian team. He has always guided young batsmen and bowlers with his years of observation and this has led to many success stories.

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His keen eye has always helped Virat Kohli with DRS calls, which the fans have dubbed the Dhoni Review System, thanks to the keeper’s success rate with his calls. This is where Rishabh Pant also failed miserably and fans were again reminded of why Dhoni should be brought back.

The new bowlers like Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, and even the spinners in Washington Sundar will benefit hugely from Dhoni’s experience of playing in Australia.

The game plan has to be different in the huge grounds down under and Dhoni has enough backup plans for his original plans to use when the need arises, something Indian team seemed to be lacking with Pant or Rahul behind the stumps.

Lack of guidance and help for the tweakers have meant the likes of Kuldeep losing his confidence and place in the side and he was at the top of his game with Dhoni keeping wickets.

India is one of the best T20 sides in the world, which they showed when the whitewashed New Zealand 5-0 in their own backyard. And if Dhoni is brought back for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2020, it will be Kohli and his men benefitting from it and a possible second World title on the horizon.