CWC 2019: Why MS Dhoni Should Bat At No. 4 For India In The World Cup
The 2019 World Cup is just 11 days away and all the teams will look to settle their team combinations before the start of cricket’s showpiece event. As far as the Indian team is concerned, they have the right blend of youth and experience in the squad which should augur well for them.
However, one of the most important questions that need to be addressed is: who will bat at No. 4 for India in the 2019 World Cup? Initially, it was thought that Ambati Rayudu had cemented his spot. Rayudu though struggled to get going in the Australian series at home, and, as a result, India chose to leave him out of their World Cup squad altogether.
So, who should walk out for India at the crucial No. 4 spot? Well, the answer is Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Dhoni is now at the twilight of his career and is no longer the player he once was. He is not the Dhoni who can come out and start smashing the ball out of the park from the get-go. Instead, he is now a man who needs to take his time in the middle, get his eye in and only then start going after the bowling.
Dhoni can play the pivotal role of the sheet anchor and take the match deep before unleashing himself on the opposition. This year, he has proven how he can hold the innings together if he sent out to bat early.
Dhoni and Virat Kohli can provide the ideal platform for the likes of Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav to explode at the end. With his vast experience, Dhoni can churn out the singles in the crucial middle overs, rotate the strike and act as the fulcrum of the batting line-up.
In 2019, Dhoni has played 8 innings and scored 327 runs at a whopping average of 81.75. His strike rate is only 78.23 this year, but if Dhoni can get his eye in and stay till the end, then he can demolish the opposition during the death overs.
That is exactly why there is no man better than the iconic MS Dhoni who should walk out at No. 4 for India in the 2019 World Cup.