India will defend their T20 World Cup crown in less than five months. Ahead of the big event, the BCCI has approached MS Dhoni to return as mentor of the national team.
Dhoni had served in the same role during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. At that time, Virat Kohli was captain and Ravi Shastri was the head coach. India, however, failed to reach the knockout stage. They lost to Pakistan by 10 wickets in their first game, which was also their first defeat against Pakistan in a World Cup.
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According to CricBlogger, a BCCI source confirmed that MS Dhoni has been offered the mentor’s role again. “Dhoni is once more offered to guide Indian cricket,” the source said. The board believes Dhoni’s calm nature, tactical skills, and experience in winning tournaments will help the team.
However, there is a concern. Insiders feel Dhoni might not be keen to accept because Gautam Gambhir is the current head coach. Both have great respect for each other’s careers, but their views on cricket are believed to be different.
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Even so, players in 2021 praised MS Dhoni’s guidance. He was said to have shared valuable tips during training and team meetings. His presence gave younger players confidence, even though the team did not do well in the tournament.
This year’s World Cup squad is expected to include many youngsters. MS Dhoni’s mentorship could be useful in preparing them for pressure games. The key question is whether Dhoni and Gambhir can work smoothly together for India’s benefit.
India’s next challenge before the World Cup is the Asia Cup. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team. The tournament begins on September 9 in Dubai. India are in Group A with Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE. The defending champions will start their campaign on September 10 against the UAE.
The board hopes Dhoni will agree to return. His presence in the dressing room could be a big boost as India look to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles.
