Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Monday said that chances of MS Dhoni returning to the Indian cricket team are slim if there is no Indian Premier League this year. Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected chat show, the former left-handed batsman also named KL Rahul as the potential replacement for Dhoni going forward. “If the IPL does not happen this year, then it will become very difficult for MS Dhoni to make a comeback. On what basis can he be selected since he’s not been playing for the last one or one and a half year,” Gambhir said.
“The apt replacement for Dhoni could be KL Rahul. Ever since he has donned the ’keeper’s gloves in white-ball cricket, I’ve seen his performance, both batting and ’keeping. Obviously his keeping is not as good as Dhoni’s, but if you are looking at T20 cricket, Rahul’s a utility player, can keep and bat at No. 3 or 4,” he added.
Gambhir further added that the Indian team would want all those players in the team who give out best performances. “If the IPL does not happen, then MS Dhoni’s chances for a comeback look dim. Ultimately, you are representing India, so whoever dishes out the best performance and can win the match for India should play for the team,” he said.
“As far as his retirement plans go by, that’s his personal choice.”
Meanwhile, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra said that he thinks Dhoni has quietly moved away from Indian cricket. Speaking in a Youtube video to Pakistan legend Ramiz Raja, Chopra said: “Unless, of course, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli or Ravi Shastri pick up the phone and tell Dhoni to help the team out in the T20 World Cup. If they tell Dhoni that they want him to play the World Cup, then there is a chance he could return.”
