Virat Kohli defends MS Dhoni, says any batsman can get stuck at the crease

What’s the story?

Indian captain Virat Kohli has defended his former skipper when asked about his low strike rate in the fourth ODI of the series. Supporting MS Dhoni’s rare failure to finish an innings, Kohli said, “It was only in the last game where he couldn't rotate the strike, before that he got a brilliant 70-80 odd not out. In the Champions Trophy against Sri Lanka, he played a brilliant knock. In the first game as well, he played a brilliant knock here when it wasn't rained out and we won the game. You don't have to tell him anything, he is striking the ball beautifully.”

Chasing a small target of 189, Dhoni struggled to rotate the strike and got himself into a defensive mindset. He scored the slowest half-century in 16 years, with his 54 runs coming off 114 balls that he faced in the innings. His innings was criticised severely from all quarters.

Kohli, however, stated that any batsman can have an off day and that there was nothing to worry about with respect to the former Indian skipper’s form.

“I think we get too impatient with one game or one knock, that can happen to anyone. Any batsman can struggle, any batsman can get stuck in the crease, even if you are in top form. I don't think there's any issue, there have been good knocks around it and the strike-rate is close to 100, if not over 100. So not bothered by anything at all," the 28-year-old concluded.

In case you didn’t know...

India’s middle order in limited overs has been a major topic of discussion for cricket experts and fans alike. While some believe that Dhoni as well as Yuvraj Singh should no longer be a part of the team and make way for the next generation, others advocate the importance of their experience to the team.

The fact that Rishabh Pant is a part of the squad but has not been included in any of the five ODI games has also attracted criticism for the Indian captain and management.

The details

Kohli was full of praise for Pandya for terrific performance in the Champions Trophy

When asked about the limited opportunities Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya are getting as they bat at No. 6 and No. 7, Kohli said that though the youngsters have been impressive in the last few months, he can’t just play around with the set batting order of the team. Furthering his point, he explained that every opposition needs to be respected enough to not make monumental changes to a working formula.

However, the Indian skipper was quick to praise both Pandya and Jadhav and is delighted to have found two explosive lower-order batsmen. He insisted that both the players will get opportunities in time.

What’s next?

The Indian team will play a one-off T20I against the hosts on Sunday before drawing the curtains on the tour. Their next venture will be an extensive tour to Sri Lanka, where they are set to compete in all three formats of the game.

The new Indian head coach is likely to be announced before that tour begins.

Author’s take

While Dhoni has lost a smidgen of his attacking power, he still remains India’s best bet lower down the order. The belief that Dhoni is there to steady the ship keeps the regular Indian fan hooked to a game even after Kohli’s dismissal.

Furthermore, Dhoni's wicket-keeping ability is still a mile ahead of anyone else in the country, and is only getting better with every passing game. It is time for Indian fans to broaden their sample space and study Dhoni’s statistics over an extensive period of time. They are likely to find out that he has still been extremely good with the bat as well as with the gloves in the last 12 months.