Published 11:13 IST, August 17th 2020
MS Dhoni's retirement would benefit THESE 2 people according to 'Professor' Dean Jones
Cricketer-turned-commentator Dean Jones names two Indian cricketers who are likely to replace outgoing MS Dhoni as India's white-ball wicketkeeper going ahead.
Former Indian captain MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, August 15. His exit from the game leaves behind some huge shoes to be filled for the wicketkeeper’s slot in India’s limited-overs set-ups. Former Australian captain and cricket expert Dean Jones believes that two Indian cricketers are expected to gain the most from MS Dhoni retirement, i.e. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.
‘KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant slept well after MS Dhoni retirement’ – Dean Jones
On Monday, August 17, Dean Jones took to Twitter and claimed that the likes of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant must have “slept well” upon hearing the MS Dhoni retirement news. The Australian commentator cited the names of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant specifically because the two cricketers are widely seen as an ideal replacement options for the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman going ahead for Team India.
Even though the MS Dhoni retirement announcement was made on August 15, the former captain last played international cricket in July 2019. During his sabbatical from the game, young Rishabh Pant donned the wicketkeeping gloves for India during their full-fledged tour to West Indies after the 2019 World Cup. Pant continued to do so in India’s subsequent home season as well. However, when he suffered an injury during an ODI against Australia in January earlier this year, KL Rahul took over the wicketkeeper’s role from him.
KL Rahul seems to have made the best out of the opportunities bestowed upon him. By leaving behind a trail of some impressive performances, he remained India’s white-ball wicketkeeping option even when Rishabh Pant was deemed fit by the team management. Since Pant’s untimely injury, KL Rahul scored 303 runs in five ODI innings at an average of 75.75. Moreover, the Kings XI Punjab skipper also scored 224 runs in the five-match T20I series in New Zealand to be adjudged as ‘Player of the Series’.
MS Dhoni retirement: Cricketer set for IPL 2020
Even though MS Dhoni brought curtains to his illustrious international career, he is set to continue his role as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020). The IPL 2020 season is currently slated to begin from September 19 onwards in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Also Read | IPL 2020: From CSK MS Dhoni To RCB Virat Kohli, All You Need To Know About Each Team's Captain
Image credits: ICC Twitter
Updated 11:13 IST, August 17th 2020