How cricketers reacted to Dhoni's exclusion from T20I squad

MS Dhoni

There is an uncanny similarity between Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. Apart from being two of India's greatest sporting icons, the two have been part of some of the country's finest sporting hours -- none more exhilarating and nostalgic than the 2011 Cricket World Cup triumph. When Tendulkar was unleashing a calculated massacre at the Protea bowlers, en route his famous 200 not out at Gwalior, Dhoni was at the other end practically dichotomizing the cricket ball and denying the Master strike, almost as if he was saving his energy for the post-match walk to the hotel.

It may come as a pleasant surprise to Indian fans, that it was Sachin who recommended Dhoni's name to take over the reins of the Indian team back in 2008 when Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar himself had turned down the offer citing worries over their form. Such is the camaraderie of the pair; Sachin's stature being almost fratriarchal to Dhoni.

Ten years own the lane, as MS Dhoni found himself out (or sacked?) of the T20I squad to face Australia, social media was abuzz with reprimands and vituperations, for India's greatest finisher they believed, had been humiliated in a public forum; deprived of opportunity when tyros of the likes of Krunal Pandya still find a spot in the fifteen. From Virat Kohli to Sunil Gavaskar, the support that MS Dhoni has received, at least, has been heartening to see, even as India's team selectors possibly view him as the old dog who cannot learn new tricks.

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Sachin Tendulkar

It is certainly not surprising to see that the Little Master came in unflinching support of Dhoni , lashing out at the selectors albeit in a manner rather uncharacteristic of a man who has been identified for close to three decades with the humility and politeness that Indians worship.

Having been part of the Indian team that drew a series against the formidable Aussies of 2003, Sachin also noted that India had their best chance of winning a Test series in Australia.Speaking to ANI, Tendulkar said, "I don't know honestly, what the mindset of the selectors is. At no stage, I looked to influence anyone by giving opinions because what happens in the dressing room and between captain, coach, and selectors should stay just within them."

"Possibly our best chance to go out there and beat them. If you see the Australian teams of the past and compare them to this one, yes, we have a perfect chance", reckons Sachin.

Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar has, on multiple occasions, reiterated that the experience of MS Dhoni will be crucial for India going into the 2019 World Cup. After the fifth and final ODI against the Windies, the swashbuckling opener turned commentator clarified that Dhoni's importance to the side is not just what the numbers reflect, but also his contribution to Virat Kohli and his captaincy burden ( doesn't seem like a burden, though.).

When asked if he should be a part of the 50-overs squad for the 2019 World Cup in England, Gavaskar, while speaking to India Today, said: "There is no question. Because apart from the fact that he has got the experience, he is so useful to Virat Kohli."

"All the little things he does from behind, telling the bowlers where to bowl to which batsmen, making those slight adjustments to the field, that leaves Virat free to think of bowling changes or to think ahead. So he takes a big load of Virat and of course he is always by Virat's side when he seeks advise. That's invaluable. No amount of money can give you that experience. Just for that he should be there for the 2019 World Cup," thinks Gavaskar.

"MSD is an absolute must for the 2019 World Cup," he added. "But having said that, I believe, the way Rohit Sharma has come to the party as a captain, as a thinker, as a planner. He has been brilliant. With Rohit coming in and also Ajinkya Rahane, Virat has a couple more shoulders to lean on. Therefore, I think this [is a] move to have MS Dhoni take a break from T20I cricket."

While Dhoni's comments regarding his omission have vindicated the fact that is was more than a fourteen-day-little-break, the additions of Rohit and Rahane as experienced campaigners do seem to be a plausible theory.

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

There is a very well-known story about Rohit Sharma's cricket career in the maidaans of Mumbai. It is said his childhood coach, having spotted the sheer elegance of his bat swing, and his breathtakingly wide array of cuts and pulls, used to place a one-rupee coin at the top of his stumps, and ask his bowlers to dislodge the coin. That anyone hardly did is another matter altogether, but the parallel that this draws with Sachin Tendulkar and Ramakant Achrekar outlines the Tendulkar-esque talent he boasts of, epitomized by the ostensible laziness with which he lofts the leather.

His career underwent a metamorphosis, with all meaning of the word, after MS Dhoni decided to promote him up the order to open the batting. Gee, that would be euphemistic in itself, for Rohit Sharma, today, has in all his right, turned into a wight-ball sensation, a batting colossus that keeps churning out double centuries with stoical equanimity as if he were eating an ice cream.

For all the Midas touches that MS Dhoni has given to his career, it was on the eve of the first T20I versus West Indies, that Sharma came into the party, and hummed the Dhoni-shall-be-missed hymn.

"Dhoni has been such a massive player for us, over the years . His experience in the middle will be missed but again Rishabh (Pant) and Dinesh (Karthik) have great opportunity to come and perform and show what they're capable of as well. It gives them an opportunity to express themselves.", Rohit said to the media personnel.

"We cannot go into the World Cup with limited resources. We need to have options. This gives you a great platform to try and test these guys."

A litmus-test (Oh Windies, so we hope), if there isn't a scintilla of falsity in Rohit's remarks, is obviously the priority, as he pulls up his socks and buckles his belt for his third assignment as T20I national captain.

Virat Kohli

Virat

Kohli

Virat Kohli's unceasing affinity for daddy hundreds, pizza-less living, charitable works, and his better half, stamps the idea that he is, despite the on-field aggression and cocky demeanour, quite a noble philanthropist. But when it comes to dealing with the media, when it comes to answering tricky questions, he raises his bat, opens his yes, and lets the ball go.

Speaking at a post-match conference, Kohli once again shouldered arms to a question regarding MS Dhoni's future in the shortest format of the game. "He's still a very integral part of this team and he just feels that in the T20 format, someone like Rishabh can get more chances.

"He anyway plays the ODIs for us regularly, so, from that point of view, he's only trying to help the youngsters; nothing that anything that other people are thinking and I as captain can certainly assure you of that."