T20 World Cup 2021: “India hoping Dhoni can help them crack the winning formula” - Salman Butt on MSD’s role as mentor

Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt reckons that the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) main objective of hiring MS Dhoni as mentor for the T20 World Cup 2021 is to help India deal with pressure in ICC finals.

Dhoni was the captain when India last won an ICC event in 2013. Since then, they have reached the knockout rounds a number of times under Virat Kohli, but have failed to lift any crown.

According to Butt, Dhoni can aid India if they start wilting under the pressure of big matches at the T20 World Cup 2021 since he has been there and done that. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Pakistan captain opined:

“Dhoni has been such a successful player and captain. He can offer a lot to this team in terms of experience. Above all, after his exit India have played some very good cricket, but they have failed to execute their plans in the final. They are not able to finish on a winning note. Dhoni is someone who has maximum experience of finishing on the winning note as Indian captain. India are thus hoping Dhoni can make that difference and help them crack the winning formula. This is the main reason why Dhoni has been brought in.”

The 37-year-old former opening batter further pointed out that Dhoni recently led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to victory against all odds in IPL 2021. Hailing the former India captain’s leadership, Butt stated:

“Recently, he won the IPL as well. Everyone said CSK is an old team, the players need to be younger and so on. But Dhoni still led the team to victory. Dhoni is always a step ahead. He always has tricks up his sleeve, which can be used and his thought process is sharper than many others.”

CSK lifted their fourth IPL title, defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs in Dubai last week.

“He has always been a mentor for all of us” - Virat Kohli on MS Dhoni

Team India skipper Virat Kohli has asserted that Dhoni’s presence as mentor for the T20 World Cup 2021 will definitely make a difference. According to Kohli, Dhoni has always been a mentor for the players.

At a recent press conference, Kohli said about the former India skipper:

“He has always been a mentor for all of us, when we were starting our careers at that time he played and now he has the same opportunity to continue the same again. Especially for the younger guys who are in early stages of their career, just experience that he has gained over the years and having conversations with him about the game.”

Team India will begin their campaign at the T20 World Cup 2021 by taking on arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on October 24.