5 possible replacements for MS Dhoni in the Indian team
MS Dhoni caused a million heartbreaks and more when he announced that he would no longer be captaining the Indian ODI and T20 sides on the 4th of January in typical fashion. Only a couple of years ago, he had retired from Test cricket in a similar manner, when it was completely unexpected.
The good news for Dhoni fans was the fact that he did speak of his desire to continue as a member of the squad. With that being said, many people do not see Dhoni playing beyond the 2019 World Cup, while there is growing belief that he might not last beyond the 2017 Champions Trophy.
The need to groom a wicket-keeper to ensure a smooth transition is one of the top priorities for the team management now with Dhoni having served the side so well for over a decade.
Here, we look at 5 possible replacements for MS Dhoni –
Rishabh Pant
19-year-old Rishabh Pant has had a fabulous past 18-months that have seen his stocks rise exponentially. He is widely believed to be the heir apparent to MS Dhoni, with his aggressive style of batting giving him a boost.
He made his mark in the U-19 World Cup when he slammed an 18-ball half-century against Nepal. This performance, followed by a century later on, led the Delhi Daredevils to splash the cash on the youngster, as he was picked up for 1.9 crores.
It was the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season where he really established himself however. He scored the fastest century in Ranji Trophy history, scored a magnificent triple century and ended with 972 runs at a strike-rate of over 100.
He earned his maiden Indian team call-up recently, for the T20Is against England in January 2017.