Virat Kohli doesn't need to defend Dhoni: Kapil Dev

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni has been under the scrutiny of many cricket pundits in the recent times. Ever since his willow failed to contribute in the ideal way in the Rajkot T20I against New Zealand, there have been talks about his place in the Indian side. Many former cricketers, Ajit Agarkar and VVS Laxman in particular, went on to say that Dhoni should hang his boots from the shortest format of the game.

However, there have been more defenders of MS Dhoni in this case. From Sunil Gavaskar to Pragyan Ojha, all spoke in the favor of the former Indian skipper. But the best came to the fore when team India captain Virat Kohli hit hard at the critics for singling out Dhoni as the reason for India’s defeat in that game. Head coach Ravi Shastri also spoke on the similar lines and hailed MS Dhoni as the premier wicketkeeper in the country.

Now, former Indian captain Kapil Dev has joined the list too. As per the recent quotes in the India Today, Kapil Dev feels that Dhoni does not need anyone to defend him. He is good enough to defend himself with his performances. “Virat Kohli doesn’t need to defend Dhoni. Dhoni is good enough to defend himself. He doesn’t need to be protected. The day he feels he is not good enough he’ll be out,” Kapil Dev quoted.

Change in the mindset

Meanwhile, another former captain, Sourav Ganguly, feels that MS Dhoni should make subtle changes to his game when he plays in the shortest format of the game. “Mindset of the players has changed now and the game is going forward. Dhoni also needs to change his mindset in T20s. He needs to play differently,” Ganguly said.

When asked to comment on the track prepared for the first Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens, the CAB head, Ganguly, quoted “It will be a good wicket.” He further added that being a part of the administration is an easier job than playing on the field. There are no room for errors for the players. “Here you miss and you get out, in every other thing you get a second chance. As a player you don’t… Playing is always difficult there’s no retake for a player,” Ganguly said.