Sourav Ganguly Reveals What MS Dhoni Needs To Do Become Successful In T20Is

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly feels under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni should approach T20Is differently in order to succeed in the shortest format of the game.

The veteran India batsman has faced a lot of flak for his knock in the second T20I against New Zealand that more or less derailed India’s chase when the Men in Blue were chasing a mammoth 197.  Having walked into bat when the team was four down for just 67 runs in the tenth over and needed more than 10 runs per over, Dhoni failed to play according to the situation as he took his time initially. And by the time, he played some big shots the match, it was already a lost battle for the hosts.  In the first 20 balls that he faced, he had managed only 17 runs, and although he eventually scored 49 off 37, his knock could not provide the chase with the much-needed impetus, as India went on to lose the game by 40 runs.

And with Dhoni struggling to play as per demands in T20Is, Ganguly feels he should change his approach

“His record in T20I is not that good compared to ODIs. Hope Kohli and team management will speak to him separately. He has immense ability. If he approaches T20Is differently, then he will be successful,” said Ganguly.

“I think he should keep playing One-day cricket, but he has to play differently in T20Is. He has to play T20Is freely. It depends on the selectors and how they would like to play him,” he added.

Ganguly also expressed his surprise over the selectors’ decision to rest allrounder Hardik Pandya for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka and also ruled out the possibility of seeing three spinners in the Indian lineup for the first Test, starting from November 16 in Kolkata.

“I’m surprised. I don’t know if he’s injured. He has played only three Tests… This is the age to play. I don’t know the exact reason. Hope he’s fit,” he said.

“India won’t play with three spinners, definitely not at the Eden Gardens as the pitch here is different. They will play with two spinners and now since they don’t have Hardik Pandya they may have a different combination for the all-rounders slot,” he added.

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