Mumbai: At the helm during Virat Kohli’s transition from a gifted youngster to a seasoned master, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Tuesday the current India skipper is close to being a legend for all the brilliance he has shown in the last few years.
“He (Kohli) is the best, and has already reached a status, where he is close to (being) a legend. So I am very happy for him. And the way he has batted everywhere and in the last few years, he has just been brilliant,” Dhoni said during a promotional event here, Tuesday.
The former skipper complimented his one-time deputy for his batting exploits. Kohli played his cricket under Dhoni’s captaincy and blossomed from a talented teenager into a world beater. Dhoni is happy that Kohli is taking the team forward. “He keeps taking the team forward and that is what you want from a leader. So all the best to him,” Dhoni said.
The dashing keeper-batsman also cleared the air about his international future and made it clear that he is going nowhere till the 2019 World Cup in England.
There were rumours about his retirement when TV cameras spotted him asking for the match ball after final ODI that India lost to England last month but Dhoni revealed Tuesday that he was merely doing his homework for next year’s mega event.
“(I took the ball) to see why we are not able to get enough reverse swing. Because we will be playing the World Cup in England, we have to (ensure) that we get reverse swing going, because it is something that is very important. If the opposition is doing it, we should also get it, at some point or the other,” Dhoni elaborated.
“We need to work on it as to how we can get it more scuffed up so that we can get a bit of reverse swing going, that will in-turn help the fast bowlers get those yorkers or wickets in and around the 40th over mark,” added the former Indian skipper.
Dhoni also said that India can win the series in England by taking 20 wickets in the matches. “That’s the simplest and easiest way to win a game. It doesn’t matter, how many you score, what does is getting 20 wickets,” asserted the glovesman.
“We will be playing the World Cup in England next year. So we have got to get the reverse swing going”
MS Dhoni
