Blaming Dhoni for the defeat is pointless!

The writing was on the wall for many many weeks. The India T-20 World Cup squad was basically a good team, capable of winning any cricket tournament. Unfortunately, it is also the most over-worked team in the world. Mahindra Singh Dhoni, the captain himself could do with some much needed rest. It is absolutely insane the way some of our best players have been over-exposed. Ishant Sharma has been used like a work-horse for two years without a break. BCCI could break him apart just like they did with Irfan Pathan. Besides, a young captain like Dhoni needs a veteran in the slips for a second opinion. Sachin Tendulkar or even Rahul Dravid could give the required input, standing beside a wicket-keeper captain in times of crisis. Mahi (Mahindra Singh Dhoni) looked confused when Zaheer Khan failed to use the bouncy Lords pitch to his advantage. R P Singh pressed his attack with reasonable line and length but Ishant Sharma lost the momentum. Ishant has been out of his league for a long time, he needs to recharge his batteries. He gave 10 extra runs just too many. Yuvraj Singh as a bowler was a very bad idea at that time, Yusuf Pathan could have been a better alternative. But this is all 20-20 hindsight, the important point is that we win some and we lose some. What matters is that we play good cricket for the long run.

The decency of a boy from Bihar!

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the current captain of the Indian Cricket Team, was born on July 7, 1981 in Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand). His parents, Pan Singh and Devaki Dev moved from Almora District of Uttarakhand to Ranchi before he was born. This kid from Ranchi had the decency to honor his former captain Sourav Ganguly, to let him lead the team in the last few overs in the last test between India and Australia in Nagpur, Maharashtra. How many former Indian captains have had the brains to do the same? Dhoni, affectionately called ‘Mahi’, is very much like Sourav Ganguly who always played for the team. These two Indian Cricketers are not concerned about their own records but have led their teams to win the matches, unlike a few who play for themselves and their egos. Indian cricket is in good hands for the next few years!

‘Mahi’ (M S Dhoni) is not exactly a rare talent for cricket. He is genuinely a good person at heart and therefore a good captain for the Indian cricket team. India has 600,000 villages and there is plenty of talent out there. The village kids have tremendous stamina and could produce international athletic talent. All they need is encouragement and decent facilities to be groomed by experienced coaches. India’s bureaucracy has deliberately neglected our rural talent because of their inherent snobbery. Credit must go to entrepreneurs like Subhash Chandra of Zee TV, who has not only scouted the small towns and villages for musical talent but sports talent as well. It is a matter of time before BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and other sports bodies join the search. Indian sports has a bright future!