No matter how many players come, you can’t replace MS Dhoni, expresses Mohammad Kaif

Since making his ODI debut in 2004 against Bangladesh, MS Dhoni has been a pillar of strength for the Indian team. Right from his batting skills, including extraordinary knocks against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the early 2000s, the right-handed batsman has helped the team to multiple victories. 

However, since the 2019 World Cup semi-final exit at the hands of New Zealand, Dhoni has not made an appearance on the cricket field, and the IPL was slated to be his comeback. Meanwhile, the Indian management had picked the 22-year-old Rishabh Pant as his replacement alongside the recent development of KL Rahul as No.1 keeper. Former Indian batsman, Mohammad Kaif, however, expressed that India cannot replace the former skipper with any wicketkeeper in the country. 

“People think that there is a gap and had he played in the IPL it would have been easier for him to make a comeback. But I don't think so. Dhoni is such a big player, he is a proper match-winner who knows how to play under pressure at number 6 and 7 and he is absolutely fit. So in my mind Dhoni is the number one player. No matter how many players come, you cannot replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni, because I think that if you remove someone, then another player should be ready,” Kaif told TimesofIndia.com. 

Kaif also recalled the 38-year-old’s debut in 2004, admitting that he was a special talent and never saw anyone bat like that. Against Pakistan in 2005, the Jharkhand batsman took the Lankan bowlers head-on, scoring a 123-ball 148 in India’s victory. After starting out lower down the order, Dhoni was promoted to the top of the order, at No.3, where he made full use of it, thrashing the Pakistan bowlers. 

“It was hard to believe that someone could play that sort of an innings so early in his career. Hitting the ball is one thing and tearing the ball apart by brute force is another. He was just butchering the Pakistani attack apart. I hadn't seen anyone batting like that till that time. So it was a good move to promote him to the number 3 spot,” he concluded.