MS Dhoni is very much in the scheme of things for the 2019 World Cup: Ravi Shastri

Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has squeezed out all the talks regarding MS Dhoni’s future. He stated that Dhoni is not even “half finished yet” and is very much in the scheme of things for the 2019 World Cup in England. Dhoni is back to what he does best, finishing games for India and securing wins under challenging circumstances. In the ongoing ODI series, Dhoni batted thrice and scored- 47*,67* and 49* in the last three games respectively. Each one of his knocks were vital and interestingly he remained unbeaten on all three occasions.

India are currently leading the ODI series by 4-0, with one more game to be played. The visitors have dominated this entire tour, firstly by winning the Test series by a margin of 3-0 (whitewash) and then clinching all four games in the limited overs series so far.

Shastri bats for Dhoni

“MS Dhoni is a massive influence on the team. He is a living legend in the dressing room and an ornament to the game. By no means or by any stretch of imagination he is finished or even half finished yet,” Shastri said. “If anyone thinks so, they are mistaken and they have another one coming. There are in for some surprises. The old dog has plenty to offer,” he said.

Best limited overs keeper: Shastri

The head coach compared Dhoni with Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, while stating that he is the best limited overs keeper in the country.  “How do you pick players? When they are good, and Dhoni is the best limited-overs’ keeper in the country. Forget his batting stats, what else do you want. Just because he has played for so many years, you are thinking about a replacement? “He is the best in the country. Would you look to replace Sunil Gavaskar when he was 36 years old or Sachin Tendulkar when he was 36? Dhoni is still the best in the business, so what is the need to even entertain those thoughts,” he asked.