Lucky To Have MS Dhoni In The Team: Ajinkya Rahane

Things might not have been very rosy off the field for Mahendra Singh Dhoni as far as criticism is concerned but the former India skipper has constantly been supported by his teammates and the latest to join the bandwagon is Ajinkya Rahane.

The Test vice-captain not only insisted that the veteran keeper-batsman has a lot of cricket left in him but also revealed how the 36-year old is working hard to keep himself ready for the demands of international cricket. Rahane went on to say that apart from his cricketing skills, Dhoni is also important for the team because of his vast experience.

“Definitely MS Dhoni has cricket left in him. He is taking care of his fitness, he is looking after his body, he is looking after his diet I mean and also his advices on the field to Virat is such a big difference,” Rahane told India Today.

“And he has a skill and he is so experienced that he has actually seen everything. I feel he is the guy and we are lucky to have him in our team. His advice means a lot to us, it taught us a lot and he definitely has cricket left in him,” added Rahane who also played with Dhoni in the Indian Premier League.

Watch – MS Dhoni Gives Running Lesson to Hardik Pandya In 100-Meter Race

The critics took a shot at Dhoni after his uncharacteristic innings during a T20 International against New Zealand last month derailed India’s chase, and the team went on to lose the game. In fact, the likes of VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar had gone on to say that the World Cup-winning skipper should make way for youngsters in the team before skipper Virat Kohli had leapt in Dhoni’s defence.

ALSO READ: Virat Kohli Doesn’t Need To Defend Dhoni, Says Kapil Dev

Recently, Rohit Sharma and head coach Ravi Shastri had also defended the stalwart. While Rohit said he was shocked to see his senior teammate getting criticised, Shastri had said Dhoni was fitter and faster than players ten years junior to him

“I am shocked that this question is being raised. If you look at the recent performances, I don’t understand why people are still talking about it,” Rohit had said.

ALSO READ: I Am Shocked, Says Rohit Sharma On Criticism Faced By MS Dhoni

Well, Dhoni’s form in One-Day Internationals has been really good this year. The right-handed batsman is the fourth highest run-scorer for the Men in Blue, having scored 788 runs in 29 ODIs at an average of 60.61 with one hundred and six half-centuries. He has also performed impressively in T20Is, amassing 252 runs in 13 games at an average of 42 with the highest score of 56.

ALSO READ: Till Today You Don’t Have a Wicket-keeper to Replace MS Dhoni – Ravi Shastri

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