IPL 2020: Irfan Pathan Warns Bowlers To Be Wary Of MS Dhoni

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni is one of the many players that experts have backed to watch out for in the forthcoming IPL edition. MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket a little more than a month ago, having not played a competitive match for more than a year. Irfan Pathan, who has played under the keeper-batsman, has handed a warning to the bowlers.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Sunil Gavaskar Points Out Mumbai Indians’ Weaknesses

MS Dhoni is one of the most successful IPL captains, having guided the Chennai Super Kings to three titles. He has also ushered the yellow army to the playoffs in every season they have played. Along with MS Dhoni, the likes of Suresh Raina, Shane Watson, Imran Tahir, Ravindra Jadeja, and several others have remained cornerstone to their success. The keeper-batsman has produced some bludgeoning batting performances to secure victories out of nowhere.

“All the bowlers, please watch out! Be careful when you are bowling against Mahendra Singh Dhoni. We might see the Dhoni that we saw before he became the Indian captain. Before he became the captain, he didn’t have that extra responsibility, so he used to play freely. As I say in Hindi “Woh bebaak hoke khelega” (he will play uninhibitedly).

If that happens, the bowlers will lose control. So it’s very difficult for all the bowlers to get going against Dhoni. Don’t look at his age, don’t look at that he hasn’t played cricket for so long. Don’t look at those things. He will be the player to watch out for this reason and I am pretty certain as well that we might see Dhoni bludgeoning the bowlers and playing freely, the way he used to before he became the captain. I totally expect that,” Pathan told Times of India.

Sanjay Bangar’s comments on MS Dhoni’s challenge:

Former Indian all-rounder Sanjay Bangar opines that MS Dhoni’s biggest challenge is to move the experienced players around in the field. He feels that T20 format requires swiftness and plenty of athleticism and how the skipper manages the senior cricketers would be crucial.

“I do not think there will be any challenges he will face during batting or bowling with respect to these experienced players. The most challenging aspect will be considering the T20 format is based on athleticism and fielding plays a vital role in this format, how will he manage his senior players placing them on the field. I think this will be the most challenging part as a captain for him,” Bangar said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Also Read: Everyone Waiting To See MS Dhoni Back In Action: Sunil Gavaskar