Fans in Mohali ask Virat Kohli to bring back MS Dhoni

It happened after Rishabh Pant's poor show with the wicketkeeping gloves.

Published - 12 Mar 2019, 15:04 IST | Updated - 12 Mar 2019, 15:04 IST

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It doesn’t take long for cricket to change its face. Not long ago, it was ace wicket-keeper-batsman MS Dhoni who was being criticised for his poor batting form. However, things changed ever since he belted three consecutive fifties in Australia in January to bag the Man of the Series award. And now, the fans many of whom were keen to write off the 37-year-old over his slow batting, want him back in the side for every game that India play.

The reason for the latest twist in the tale is Rishabh Pant’s sloppy keeping in the fourth ODI against Australia in Mohali on March 10. Pant, who was picked for the series ahead of the experienced Dinesh Karthik, played his first game in Mohali in which also replaced Dhoni as the team’s wicket-keeper.

Pant hadn’t kept till that game in an ODI and he failed to impress the fans and even his team members, thanks to poor glove-work. The 21-year-old from Uttarakhand missed stumping chances as well as run-outs even by trying to ape Dhoni’s blind back-flick styles which infuriated the fans more.

Fans ask a fielding Virat Kohli to bring Dhoni back

The call for Dhoni’s return started well before the match in Mohali ended and videos surfaced on Twitter showing the fans chanting “Dhoni, Dhoni” and even asking India captain Virat Kohli from behind to bring “Mahi” back. Though India’s batting clicked in the game with both their openers Rohit Sharma (95) and Shikhar Dhawan (143) giving a powerful start, the bowling and fielding let the hosts terribly down.

Besides Pant, other fielders also dropped chances, allowing Ashton Turner and Peter Handscomb run away with the game and make the series 2-2. The two teams will play in the series decider in Delhi on March 13 and it will be an acid test for Pant to cement a berth in the World Cup squad. This will be India’s final international game ahead of the showpiece event beginning May 30.