Dhoni's experiments with youth
In the Hindustan Times Pradeep Magazine writes that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the "new Ganguly of Indian cricket." He did not want seniors in the team and stuck to his guns, much to the chagrin of many
Sriram Veera
25-Feb-2013
In the Hindustan Times Pradeep Magazine writes that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the "new Ganguly of Indian cricket."
He did not want seniors in the team and stuck to his guns, much to the chagrin of many. For many, former captain Sourav Ganguly is his mentor. Yet when it came to what he thought was the future of his team, he shunted him out. Today, after the openers' failures, is he missing the presence of Ganguly? Going by what one can read of the man, certainly not. He would rather lose, backing his gameplan than compromise on what he believes is the way ahead.
In many ways, he is the new Ganguly of Indian cricket. May be much calmer from the outside, but someone who is going to be there for those on whom he has faith. Ganguly, through his steadfast support to those who were talented and his aggressive approach, transformed the Indian team.
R Kaushik, writing in the Deccan Herald, dwells on the rapid rise of Dhoni.
Superstars aren't shown the door; time waits for them to call it quits, however belated that might be. To go against the grain, therefore, and insist on the blooding of youth at the expense of some of the biggest names to have graced the cricket firmament called for not just immense conviction, but also great courage. To the cynical several, Dhoni’s successful push for the infusion of young blood was a pointer to his rapidly growing clout within the establishment.
Sriram Veera is a former staff writer at ESPNcricinfo