MS Dhoni will be India's most important player in World Cup: Madan Lal
Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal has said that MS Dhoni will be the team’s most important player in the upcoming World Cup and that the 33-year-old has it in him to repeat the heroics of the 2011 triumph at home.
"Dhoni is a game-changer. We all have seen his game. We should not forget what he did n 2011. I believe he will once again shine and take India through to the semi-finals at least.Hope he will help India win their third World Cup," Lal, a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team, said.
Walking in to bat at 114 for 3, the Indian captain scored a brilliant 91 not out off 79 balls to guide India to their second World Cup win, against Sri Lanka at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in 2011.
Lal raised concerns about India’s bowling and said that the real test for the team would come when they enter the knockout stages.
“India are in Pool A where they can easily beat Zimbabwe, Ireland and UAE. In the quarter-finals, India will have to show their true fighting spirit. For me, batting won't be a major issue for India but bowling can be,” he said.
‘Past results won't matter a lot at the World Cup’
The Men in Blue are yet to win a match in Australia despite being there for close to 3 months now, but the 63-year-old believes that India will start with a clean slate at the quadrennial event.
"World Cup is altogether a different platform. I am sure India will do well in the tournament. We have seen many dismal shows ahead of the World Cup but in the end have also seen India playing brilliantly on the biggest stage. Hope to see them winning this time too,” Lal said.
He further said that Dhoni and the team management shouldn’t look to tinker too much with the side and back the players who have taken them so far to see through the tournament.
"This is the time when there shouldn't be many experiments. India should go for the same openers as they are [Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan]. Dhoni shouldn't experiment much from here. Tri-series was past and now his main focus should be World Cup,” he said.