MS Dhoni's rollercoaster ride in 2018

Life is like a pendulum. On one hand, it takes you to the pinnacle of success. But on the other, it can reveal you the darkest of truths. One cricketer has experienced both the sides of pendulum this year: Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Hailing from the town of Ranchi, Dhoni has achieved everything the cricketing world could ask for. He has lifted several trophies, led the team brilliantly with his cool demeanor for close to a decade, played a lot of match-winning knocks, and to top it all, he is still razor sharp with his wicket-keeping skills.

2018 has definitely been a bitter-sweet year for Dhoni.

Donning the yellow jersey, Dhoni had a remarkable Indian Premier League this season. There was a lot of hopes from the Chennai Super Kings fans, as the team was returning after a gap of two years. Dhoni did not disappoint them. Having a strong tactical acumen, he led an aging squad brilliantly and helped the team lift its third IPL trophy.

Dhoni too played a pivotal role this season. In 16 matches, he scored 455 runs at a mind-boggling average of 75.83 and a healthy strike rate of 150.66. His audacious stroke play brought back the memories of when he was at the peak of his powers in his international career. But after the conclusion of IPL, everything has gone haywire for him.

Out of 20 One Day Internationals this year, he has managed to scored just 275 runs at a paltry average of 25. His highest score this year is just 42*. He is taking a lot of time to get settled, and once he tries to accelerate, trying to play big shots, he perishes. His inability to rotate the strike in the middle overs has raised a lot of questions about his role and place in the team. He failed to do his job, both as an anchor and also as a finisher.

Despite a string of failures and getting dropped from the T20 Series vs Australia, he has got the backing of his captain, coach, and selectors. The team management still believes that he is an integral part of India’s squad for the 2019 World Cup.

A failure from him at this juncture does not seem to augur well for the team. It is high time that he regains his lost ‘Midas touch.’