Give him 2-3 years to cool off - Sunil Gavaskar against MS Dhoni replacing Ravi Shastri as head coach after T20 WC
Sunil Gavaskar is not in favor of MS Dhoni replacing Ravi Shastri as Team India head coach soon after the T20 World Cup 2021. The batting legend believes Dhoni should have at least a two to three year "cooling off period" after his retirement to avoid any bias, disagreements or arguments within the dressing room.
MS Dhoni's rousing comeback in the Indian white-ball fold as a mentor came just over a year after his international retirement. Naturally, the rumor mill kicked off, with many perceiving this as a stepping stone towards his promotion to head coach after the end of Ravi Shastri's contract in November.
However, Gavaskar, in conversation with Sports Tak, compared the turn of events to the cooling off period for national selectors, saying that a recently retired player in such a position could drastically affect the working of a team. He said:
"See, I have always wanted there to be a cooling off period after a player retires because the dressing room environment is such, there could be some disagreements and arguments. But if you give a cooling off period here, then the mentor or coach won't have a three-year-old issue in his/her mind. Same with the selection committee - if one becomes a selector a year after retirement he might be biased against the player who replaced him or the ones who made that decision. So, no issues for the mentor, but if he has to be made coach then it'll be better if it happens after 2-3 years."
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The grapevine of MS Dhoni's elevation was also fuelled by reports of Ravi Shastri's disinterest in getting his contract extended and another venerable captain, Rahul Dravid's hesitation in taking up the role. Dhoni's well-known camaraderie with the team also seems to be helping with the arguments.
"MS Dhoni's appointment as mentor will only help Virat Kohli" - Pragyan Ojha
Meanwhile, speaking on the same subject exclusively with Sportskeeda's YouTube channel, former spinner Pragyan Ojha said the "clever decision" would only benefit Virat Kohli and Team India. He said MS Dhoni's addition will help the team achieve new heights at the T20 World Cup.
Ojha told SK Live:
"It's a very clever decision by the BCCI to add him. With the vast knowledge he has as a leader, it will only help Virat Kohli. We have seen the way Virat has been leading this Indian team, the way he has been contributing as a captain and then two of the greats coming together, sky is the only limit."
India squad for T20 World Cup will play their first T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on October 24. But before that, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli will be seen in action when the IPL 2021 season restarts in the UAE on September 19.