MS Dhoni Has Not Done Well Enough In To Be In The T20 Team Of The Decade: Aakash Chopra

Former India cricketer, Aakash Chopra has questioned the criteria with which MS Dhoni has been selected in ICC’s T20I team of the Decade and also being made the captain of the same. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday (December 27) announced the T20I team for the decade. Former India captain, MS Dhoni was elected as the captain and wicket-keeper of the team by ICC.

Chopra is a bit surprised by MS Dhoni being selected in the dual role of keeper and captain for the T20I team for the last 10 years. He points out that neither Dhoni has led India to any T20 World Cup title in the gone by decade nor Dhoni as a batsman has done anything extraordinary. Chopra thinks that somebody like Jos Buttler could have made a better option instead of Dhoni.

Both wicket-keeper batsman, England’s Jos Buttler, and South Africa’s Quinton de Kock have scored more runs than the former India captain- and at a better strike rate than Dhoni as well. The Ranchi-born led India to victory in the 2007 World Cup final- but in the next 5 editions, India reached the final and semi-final once each.

In his Facebook video, Aakash Chopra said, “I am slightly intrigued because if you talk about T20Is in this decade, neither has India won anything nor has Dhoni done that well in T20Is. We are making a T20I team and it does not have players like Jos Buttler etc.”

ICC’s T20I team doesn’t make sense: Aakash Chopra

Chopra is also disappointed by the fact that no Pakistani cricketer made it into any of the three teams of the decade despite Pakistan and Babar Azam previously being at the top of ICC’s team and batsmen rankings.

“My major bone of contention is that it seems they have not made the T20I team at all. They are making the team of the decade and it is not only about the Pakistani thing why none of their players are there but it just doesn’t make sense,” Chopra added.

The 43-year-old is befuddled by the fact that ICC only picked 3 frontline bowlers – Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rashid Khan – in their team and 2 batting all-rounders – Kieron Pollard and Glenn Maxwell – to bowl the rest 8 overs. Chopra feels that ICC’s team is nothing but a farce as he believes that there should be at least 5 proper bowling options in a team because Maxwell and Pollard are part-time bowlers.

“A T20I team generally has 5-6 batsmen and then should have five bowlers at least. It is even better if there are 6-7 bowling options,” the former batsman added.

The ICC Men's T20I Team of the Decade. And what a team it is! ⭐

A whole lot of 6️⃣-hitters in that XI! pic.twitter.com/AyNDlHtV71

— ICC (@ICC) December 27, 2020

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