Sourav Ganguly believes MS Dhoni will do well in the World Cup based on his overall record

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly backed India’s wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni to do well in next year’s World Cup that will be held in England. Dhoni, although hailed as one of the best finishers the game has seen, has been struggling with the bat as of late. However, Ganguly believes the ongoing series against the Windies would be crucial for the veteran stumper who’s looking forward to next year’s mega event.

Dhoni’s individual scores have dwindled in the last few years. Earlier this year, he was instrumental in the Chennai Super Kings’ journey to their third IPL title as he amassed 455 runs from 16 matches. However, once back in the India outfit, MSD’s numbers took a hit. The World-Cup winning captain was also booed by spectators at Lord’s after his innings of 37 lacked ‘the intent’ to win the game for India.

MS Dhoni’s struggle for runs

His lean patch continued in the Asia Cup as he managed the highest score of 36 from the six games he played, scoring a total of 77 runs at 19.25 and a strike rate of 62.09. However, the former captain boasts of a phenomenal record in ODI cricket. Having played 328 matches for India, he’s amassed 10,123 runs, and still averages over 50. The middle-order batsman has over 67 half-centuries under his belt. He is also arguably one of the best wicketkeepers the game has ever seen. But his capabilities as a finisher have certainly fallen.

Starting with the ongoing five-match ODI series against the Windies, India have 18 matches left until the start of the World Cup. According to Ganguly, this will be a crucial series for MS Dhoni and is convinced he will perform well during the World Cup.

Overall in 2018, MS has made 10 appearances with the bat, averaging 28.12 with a strike rate of 67.36. Dhoni has also had an unimpressive record in England’s seaming conditions. In 20 ODIs there, he averages 38.06 and hasn’t scored a single hundred. “His overall record is very good,” Ganguly nevertheless pointed out. “It all depends how the players perform going ahead to the World Cup. It’s about scoring runs. That’s why Pant has been given a chance,” Dada added.

India’s World Cup campaign gets underway against South Africa on June 5 next year, followed by a rematch of the 2015 World Cup semi-final against defending champions Australia.

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