'He will be back in a very very big way' - Suniel Shetty backs MS Dhoni to take up wicketkeeper's slot in T20 World Cup 2020

The absence of MS Dhoni on the cricket field has left many fans in dismay. The former Indian skipper’s last competitive game for the Indian cricket team was during the semifinal against New Zealand at the 2019 World Cup. Since then, the wicketkeeper-batsman’s cricket journey has been at a halt, leaving his fans in the doldrums.

There have been many speculations regarding Dhoni’s retirement from the sport. The 38-year-old has been away from international cricket for almost a year now and that has sparked many speculations about his future. Moreover, the exclusion of Dhoni’s name from BCCI annual contract list added fuel to the fire. The Ranchi batsman was all set to brace the field and mark his comeback to the sport while donning the Chennai Super Kings jersey in IPL 2020.

However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the tournament has been postponed indefinitely to battle the pandemic. The future of the much-awaited league looks bleak at the moment just like Dhoni’s future. Ravi Shastri, the head coach of Team India, had also stated that Dhoni’s comeback in the national side for T20 World Cup 2020 was all dependent on his performance in this year’s IPL.

Despite the postponement of IPL 2020, die-hard fans of MS Dhoni are still hoping for the international comeback of the former Indian skipper. Famous Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, who is also an ardent follower of the sport, has stated his opinion on Dhoni’s future. Shetty has backed Dhoni to be in India’s T20 World Cup 2020 squad. Shetty, in a video released by former Indian cricket Aakash Chopra, picked Dhoni in his ideal playing XI for the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Suniel Shetty also opined on the Pant-Samson debate

Shetty named Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as the openers of his team, followed by Indian captain Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer at No.3 and No.4 respectively. Talking about the wicketkeeper’s slot, Shetty opined that no one can replace Dhoni in the T20 World Cup squad.

“Between Pant and Samson, I see MS Dhoni and only MS Dhoni for the World Cup. I feel he is getting fit out there and he will be back in a very very big way. Players from across the world feel that if Dhoni is there, it’s a strong team. Dhoni will play, he will score in the IPL,” Shetty said.

Shetty also shed light on needing to give Samson a lot more chances at the international stage.

“Pant and Samson are very talented. Samson hasn’t got his chances. Pant is supremely talented but he needs to lose 4-5 kg of weight. It’s a positive thing I mean to say, but as far as wellness and fitness goes, there’s a difference in movement,” the actor said.