Even Virat Kohli doesn’t have MS Dhoni’s match-reading skills: Childhood coach Keshab Ranjan Banerjee. (Source: AP)MS Dhoni’s childhood coach Keshab Ranjan Banerjee feels that India skipper Virat Kohli needs to take some lessons from the wicketkeeper-batsman on match-reading skills.
In some of the recent matches, Dhoni was seen making decisions on field placements during death overs while Kohli manned the deep. Speaking at the summer camp launch of MS Dhoni Cricket Academy Clinic to be held in Andul, Banerjee said, “In terms of match-reading and forming strategies, Dhoni is still unparallel. Even Kohli doesn’t have that. So Kohli needs to take some advice. If Dhoni would not have been part of the Indian team, there would be nobody to help him.”
“Virat still needs time as captain and advice from Dhoni would only help him,” Banerjee told reporters during the summer camp launch of MS Dhoni Cricket Academy Clinic, which will be held in Andul.
With a lot of talk about No 4 ahead of the ICC World Cup 2019, Banerjee felt that that spot should be given to the former skipper Dhoni. “I feel Dhoni should bat at No 4 in the World Cup. It is a team management decision but that’s my personal opinion. If he bats at No 4, batsmen after him can play freely,” he said.
“When he bats at no 4, he has the luxury of spending some time and then bat freely. But he has to hit right from ball one, if he drops down at 5 or 6. Then he has to take risks,” he reasoned.
Asked whether Dhoni would retire after the World Cup in England in June, Banerjee said, “Do you want him to retire? Haven’t you seen his fitness level,” the former games teacher of Jawahar Vidya Mandir Ranchi, said. “Fitness is everything. But I cannot say about his retirement, not even his father or wife.”
Banerjee, however, said that it was too early for Rishabh Pant to get a chance to represent India in World Cup. “It’s too early to give him a chance. Our bench strength is huge and his (Pant’s) chance will come,” he said.
