India Team Discussion

[icyman]

The win record against Pakistan is the most overrated codswallop. I would gladly lose to them if it means winning the cup or losing both. One day we will lose to them. It's just life. People on both ends of the border are similar so I get the lust for stats. India is a better team regardless of that result and I had said the same thing after the CT final as well

I should have put it in another way. The imbalance of this team playing Pak first up, may mean that we will end up ceding the match to Pak. Kohli has not played with such a combo previously and it would be a massive challenge to pic an XI. Regards the World Cup, I re-iterate we have no chance with this team.

England play 3/4 keepers in the same side and dominate white ball cricket. If someone is making the cut on the basis of their batting skill then it makes 0 sense to deny them a spot in the team just because they have an added skill i.e wicketkeeping.

You are trying to compare Bairstow-Buttler with Pant-Kishan. Its apples to oranges. England's strategy is to go hard, really hard at the opposition unlike India who tend to take a long time to settle in. The likelihood of Pant, KLR and Kishan playing together is very very unlikely here.

As for the mentor part- It's below my dignity to comment

This is what happens when you accord 'Demi-God' status to such players. Its common sense that a team at this stage should not require a mentor when it has a coach who is doing just that.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

You can only select 15 and almost every batter who should have made the 18 has barring Dhawan and it was very clear that it would come down to him or Kishan and they have taken the more flexible option. I feel the decision with the batters is bang on.

100% agree to this!!! India cannot get a better batting line-up than this in T20Is at present. Nothing against him but I felt Dhawan's exclusion is a bold call and a right one too!!!

I feel if Kishan has to make the team he should be opening otherwise I don't see a chance considering we have Kohli, Pant, Hardik & Jadeja in the middle order. All of them are good T20 prospects. Rohit-Rahul would my choice to open for India.

India just messed up a little with their bowling. Otherwise this side gives us a good depth.

 

[Aalay]

Idiotic to the f********core! Every damn time we have an ICC tournament, the selection will be screwed up to extents unamiginable.


What's great about this? If anything, it opens up a pandora's box. The fact that this team requires a mentor, in itself , needs to be probed.

Wasn't Kohli faffing around recently that Shastri is the best man to have managed the team? Then, why on earth do you need a mentor?

That too MSD- a person who has been out of sync with the vagaries of modern day cricket. To me, MSD's inclusion means the team reverts to its ultra defensive T20 approach and will start taking games to the last over.

I won't be surprised if we crash out in the 1st round itself.



There has to always be a 'Vijay Shankar' moment! Varun, Ashwin will probably not get games. You also forgot 3 keepers which makes no sense whatsoever. KLR has been keeping wickets and was assumed he is your back up to Pant. So, why do you need Kishan in the scheme of things?

He won't get a game!

I am awaiting for the BCCI to announce Suresh Raina as a back up mentor very soon!

Really pissed with this! Hope we lose, Hope we crash out! I am done supporting this 'India' under Kohli- shall Back the Blackcaps now!

What the fearsome tweak is wrong with you?

MSD is there because we have been the most consistent team in ICC tournaments in the past 4 years without a trophy to show for it. Plus, when MS walks/speaks into that dressing room, he will have more respect than anyone else in that team, including Kohli and Shastri. This is probably the ideal role for Dhoni since we won't have to see him struggle with the bat as he did in the last couple of years of his career, plus we get the best part about him which is his brains/experience/leadership.

While I agree Ashwin might not get a lot of games, he will still be a key player when given an opportunity. Plus, he is a like-for-like replacement of Sundar, who would have made the squad if he was fit.

If Kishan had not made the squad, it would have been Dhawan which doesn't make sense since we will have three anchor players in our top 3. Kishan can be used anywhere in the batting order, and his keeping is a plus.

The only person I feel bad for is Yuzi Chahal. Yes, he has been on and off in the last couple of years, but he was still our best spinner in this format. Dropping him for the WC after playing him for the previous few series doesn't make much sense. Another player is Deepak Chahar, but I am glad he is there as a reserve at least.

 

[icyman]

MSD is there because we have been the most consistent team in ICC tournaments in the past 4 years without a trophy to show for it. Plus, when MS walks/speaks into that dressing room, he will have more respect than anyone else in that team, including Kohli and Shastri.

Wasn't MS a part of the ICC event teams since 2015? He was. Did he do anything remotely special in those? No!

Its not as if he hasnt been with the team in the last 7 years that he needs to be onboarded as a mentor. If MSD's influence means so much, the team would not have struggled the way it did vs Afghanistan/ England in CWC19.

P.S- I am quite happy that a conflict of interest charge has been levelled against MSD. The longer he sticks around our team, the more detrimental it would be. God forbid, this is quashed!

 

[icyman]

A mentor is not likely to exert that much of an influence to make the side change their approach drastically. This team (more so Kohli-Shastri) have not shown any inclination to take games deep and they'll likely give him a respectful ear, but will play the way they think is best. A mentor is just a sounding board, someone that you can go up to and ask for inputs/suggestions

So, why hire him then? We have seen his pathetic approach during CWC19 and the way it cost India some games. If you are going to on-board a mentor, but not listen to him, then I genuinely feel its a waste of space.

 

[ShamiLoverGlipGlops]

So much bullshit spewing around, in comes the handy ignore functionality. People who have be nothing to do in life are the ones with the conflict of imterest charges. Comparing IPL to WC is dumbness on another level.

I thought airota or whatever that name was is back. Sheehs!

 

[icyman]

People who have be nothing to do in life are the ones with the conflict of imterest charges.

Then please explain why Ganguly and Dravid were required to give up their IPL positions in order to take up BCCI Prez and NCA roles? Surely, if the rules apply to these two, they apply to Dhoni as well, right? Or he is above everyone else by virtue of having won the WT20 2007 and CWC 2011?

 

[icyman]

Furthermore, where's the cooling period? I believe they have to serve out a period of 3 years before they can serve. As a sitting IPL captain, he is bound to have some influence over team selections and that must not happen.

No matter how many times you call him professional, do not forget he supported some players via Rhiti sports as well as backed the match-fixer Gurunath Meiyappan.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Furthermore, where's the cooling period? I believe they have to serve out a period of 3 years before they can serve. As a sitting IPL captain, he is bound to have some influence over team selections and that must not happen.

No matter how many times you call him professional, do not forget he supported some players via Rhiti sports as well as backed the match-fixer Gurunath Meiyappan.

There's no clear evidence on that. I am no Dhoni fan but this is completely out of context and irrelevant thing to come up with.

 

[CooldiPargi]

No matter how many times you call him professional, do not forget he supported some players via Rhiti sports as well as backed the match-fixer Gurunath Meiyappan.

Did MSD whisper it in your ear?

 

[icyman]

There's no clear evidence on that. I am no Dhoni fan but this is completely out of context and irrelevant thing to come up with.

He has clearly spoken about Meiyappan in the Hotstar documentary on CSK.

Regards, Rhiti sports, have a look at this:

Conflict of interest? Captain cool Dhoni faces heat over Rhiti Sports

While Mahendra Singh Dhoni is away leading India against Bangladesh, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already initiated a probe into his alleged conflict of interest involving Rhiti Sports Management Private Limited, a company that manages his commercial interests as well as...

www.hindustantimes.com

It's not irrelevant! I am simply trying to bring up his past antics out here. Ravi Jadeja, RP Singh -both real close to MSD. Jadeja got an extended run in CSK and the Indian side due to this. RP Singh- wasn't he holidaying in Jamaica or so when the captain requested that he play a game out of the blue???

I am simply trying to say that MSD is no saint! Having him in the dressing room will only hamper our chances of winning. He is far too close to some of the players here.

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

He has clearly spoken about Meiyappan in the Hotstar documentary on CSK.

Regards, Rhiti sports

I was talking about match fixing allegations that you were putting on him.

I am simply trying to say that MSD is no saint! Having him in the dressing room will only hamper our chances of winning. He is far too close to some of the players here.

No one is a saint on that level. Not even Rahul Sharad Dravid!!! They just follow and do what is expected of them. This is why they are professionals.

 

[icyman]

I was talking about match fixing allegations that you were putting on him.

Read carefully, I didn't say MSD was the match fixer

No one is a saint on that level. Not even Rahul Sharad Dravid!!! They just follow and do what is expected of them. This is why they are professionals.

Why drag Dravid into this? Its a given that people ought to serve a cooling period of 3 years atleast before taking on the mantle of a coach/mentor. What credentials does MSD have to stake claim to that post? Dravid, has done a Level 3 ICC approved coaching course. So!

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Read carefully, I didn't say MSD was the match fixer

You were claiming that he supported a match fixer which has no clear evidence. Also, I didn't drag Dravid into this. Was just stating an example. Stop over reacting to everything.

 

[SaiSrini]

Regarding the conflict of interest charges on Dhoni's mentor role - Dhoni's contract with CSK ends with the completion of IPL 2021. He won't be contracted with CSK anymore after the final game that CSK plays. And its a mega auction for next year and so if Dhoni is re-selected by CSK, a fresh contract begins from 2022. Essentially, Dhoni is a "free agent" between IPL 2021 and IPL 2022.

Dravid's case was different. He was being offered a contract with BCCI for the NCA head or something (forgot what it was?) and that will be a multi year contract and so while fulfilling that position, he could not serve for Rajasthan Royals as an IPL season will clash in between his contract. Dhoni's mentor role is just for the T20 WC and once the tournament is done, his role is done.

I do get @icyman 's argument of why a mentor is needed right now when the team has so much support staff, Ravi Shastri, Kohli. And added to that, you have a super successful franchise captain in Rohit Sharma. Does Virat doubt in his ability to win the tournament and is so desperate to add an ICC title to his kitty that he has taken this route? Does he also think that taking inputs from Rohit is not enough that he wants to take inputs from Dhoni? All these questions will arise and rightly so. But as I argued in the other thread, Dhoni's role is just a sounding board kinda thing. I dont see issues that will arise from it, but I do see why the need for it.