ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Mentor MS Dhoni turns into throwdown specialist in India's training
MS Dhoni, who has been appointed as Team India's mentor for the 2021 T20 World Cup, was recently seen turning into a throwdown specialist during a training session ahead of the side's opening clash against Pakistan on Sunday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a couple of pictures of MS Dhoni and wrote:
"Revealing #TeamIndia’s latest throwdown specialist!"
Revealing #TeamIndia’s latest throwdown specialist!
@msdhoni | #T20WorldCup 💪🏾🎯 https://t.co/COZZgV7Ba6
In pictures shared by the BCCI, MS Dhoni was seen giving throwdowns to a batter in a bid to prepare him for the opening tie.
Earlier, Dhoni was also spotted working closely with young wicket-keepers Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant to improve their skills behind the stumps.
The former India captain has also been seen actively participating in team discussions during warm-up games against England and Australia.
"We wanted to involve MS Dhoni as mentor for long time" - Sourav Ganguly
While the decision to rope in MS Dhoni as a mentor has been widely praised, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly asserted the decision to have the former India captain on board was not an overnight call.
Speaking on Salaam Cricket, Ganguly said:
"Jay (Shah) and I were discussing for a long time about how to involve Dhoni. He has won 2 World Cups after all and has not left cricket completely. Hopefully, he will be a good addition. It can't possibly be bad. Let's see."
What do you reckon is the discussion between the think-tank? 🤔
Toss coming up shortly! 👍
#TeamIndia #INDvAUS #T20WorldCup https://t.co/CLUSyHP70M
Ganguly also ruled out any chance of an ego clash between captain Virat Kohli, head coach Ravi Shastri and mentor MS Dhoni.
"Ravi Shastri is the head coach, Virat is the captain and MS will just help them. MS is a mature person, he will know what to say when.
"I am sure all this was discussed and so hope for the best. He is just for this trip. They are all such big players, I just don't see any issues," Ganguly concluded.
MS Dhoni is arguably the most successful captain India have ever had. He has won three ICC titles - the ICC World T20 in 2007, the ICC ODI World Cup in 2011 and the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013 - as skipper, in addition to winning many more laurels for the country.