Former India batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth has refused to go into the debate of who should be team India’s mainstay wicketkeeper after Mahendra Singh would retire but hoped for him to “spring a surprise”.
“I would say I am lucky that I am not a selector. The world knows that Dhoni last played during the 2019 World Cup. By the looks of it, it looks like IPL would not be happening soon. If there is no IPL and if India directly goes into T20 World Cup in Australia, how will selectors choose Dhoni? The only thing that could come in his favour is that he has played a lot for the country, but this looks highly improbable according to me,” Srikkanth was quoted as saying by ANI.
“Both Rahul and Pant have been a regular part of white-ball squad so that this can go in their favour. The odds are stacked up against Dhoni, but he can spring a surprise. The dilemma is with the spectators, it will be a huge challenge. It would surprise. The dilemma is with the spectators, it will be a huge challenge,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dhoni last played for India in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup after which he took a sabbatical from competitive cricket. He has led Chennai to three IPL titles, besides two Champions League titles in 2010 and 2014. He has so far played 190 IPL matches (including two editions for Rising Pune Supergiants) and has scored 4,432 runs, including 23 half-centuries.
The three-time IPL-winning skipper with Chennai, Dhoni, had joined the Yellow Army’s training camp on March 2 before it was cancelled on March 14 due to the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.