MS Dhoni will be playing in the next two IPLs, so will Rishabh Pant to make India’s squad for 2021 T20 World Cup: Sanjay Manjrekar
After Dhoni's last international match in the 2019 World Cup, India have strained to find a reliable wicketkeeper-batsman.
Sanjay Manjrekar reckons that MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant will be fighting it out to stake a claim in India’s squad for the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup in India. Even as Pant is busy proving his credentials, Dhoni is at the fag end of his career after turning 39 years old. The former made his T20I debut in 2017, but inconsistent runs haven’t helped his cause by any means.
Dhoni, on the other hand, hasn’t played any competitive cricket for more than a year. However, bearing in mind his experience, he hasn’t completely been ruled out. The 55-year-old Manjrekar feels that the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be playing a crucial role in their respective careers.
Before the T20 WC next year, there will be two editions of the IPL and as per Manjrekar, it gives Dhoni and Pant a chance to stake their claim for the T20 world event in India. The veteran also said that KL Rahul is almost a ‘certainty’ for the tournament.
Sanjay Manjrekar opines
“The last time we saw the Indian T20 team it looked a certain way but there is going to be at least 2 IPLs I think before the next T20 World Cup. So, you will have a lot of these performances coming and changing the dynamics a little bit,” Manjrekar was quoted as saying on Star Sports ‘Cricket Connected’.
“People who feel cemented or established in the team, will all be challenged. It will be wonderful to watch people like Rahul who at the moment looks a certainty,” he stated. “Rishabh Pant gets 2 IPLs to stake a claim, Dhoni will be playing 2 IPLs. So, it will be fun,” Manjrekar said.
Manjrekar, who’s also a renowned commentator, also called Pant and Sanju Samson enigmas. Like Pant, even Samson is trying to get into the Indian team. The latter also played in the New Zealand tour earlier this year.
“People like Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson, for me as an analyst watching the players and trying to make an assessment, sometimes predictions go right or wrong, they are both slightly enigmatic for me,” he added.
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