No one can replace MS Dhoni before 2019, says Sehwag
INDIA GREAT VIRENDER SEHWAG stated that there is nobody who can replace wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni in the team before 2019.
In the past few months, there have been many discussions regarding Dhoni’s place in the team and whether the selection committee should look for his replacement for the 2019 WC. However, Sehwag quashed the idea and told PTI,
“I don’t think anyone can replace Dhoni at this point of time. Rishabh Pant is good but he would also need time to replace him. But that can only happen after 2019. It’s then when we should think about Dhoni’s replacement. Till then let Pant gain experience.”
The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ reckoned that no other player has the kind of experience that Dhoni can provide in the middle and the lower order.
“We should not worry about whether Dhoni is scoring runs or not. We should only pray that MS Dhoni is fit till 2019 World Cup. The experience that he has in the middle and the lower middle order, no one has that. Like life, the beauty of sports is that no two periods are identical. You will have to deal with it. There are days when you make runs and there will be a dry spell. Like in business, every year you don’t make profits.”
The 38-year-old added that the Indian team should experiment with the lower order and make sure that the players learn to play under pressure.
“The middle-order that would play in the World Cup along with the bowlers should be given enough opportunities, so by the time of World Cup, they should have played close to 100 ODIs each. They should be ready to handle each and every challenging situation thrown at them,” he said and added, “Experience always enables you to handle pressure better. They can then win you matches in crunch situations. If they are not given that many chances, they could be the weak link. Next 3-6 months, I hope that the core is set. Let one of the middle-order slot be given to one of them while the other slot may be rotated between Kedar Jadhav and Manish Pandey. In that way, you also have given these guys experience while one seasoned player is also there in the set-up.”
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