Tuesday 14th Jan, 2025
MS Dhoni seems to have entered a new zone since giving up the captaincy.
This newer version of our former keeper is one that teams should be wary of. Why? Well it seems a sleeping tiger has been awakened.
Not that Captain Cool was less dangerous but he was also involved in managing the Men in Blue which did take some of his attention span if not all of it. Now, that burden is gone, he is free and even at 36, the same fire rages inside him.
The recent series in Sri Lanka proves the man is just as lethal with bat and gloves. The new Dhoni may not smash everything out of the ground, but he can destroy the opposition by simply dismantling them piece by piece.
With the 2019 World Cup on the agenda, Dhoni is here to stay for the long haul. Fitness is not a concern, he is as agile as a gazelle.
As a keeper, the reflexes are no less slower than they were a decade back. He is still the best choice for India behind the stumps. At to that the wealth of experience and the legacy he is leaving, Dhoni is a big boon for the Men in Blue.
With more freedom in his game and absolutely nothing to lose, he is a more lethal combination than he was as skipper.
So opposing teams, you would do well to be wary, Dhoni 2.0 is more menacing and he will take you out.