Dhoni backs Rohit and Kohli, says India dangerous at T20 World Cup

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has backed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to continue playing, saying age should not be a barrier if they perform and stay fit. He also called India “one of the most dangerous teams” ahead of the T20 World Cup

New Delhi: Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has thrown his weight behind senior batting stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, saying nobody should tell them whether they can continue or not, while backing the “dangerous” Indian T20 team to defend its world title on home turf.

In an interview to sports broadcaster Jatin Sapru, facilitated by tile and stone-installation company MYK Laticrete, which roped in Dhoni as its brand ambassador, the reclusive superstar gave rare views on Indian cricketing matters.

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“Sorry, what’s the question?” he quipped at first when the debate surrounding the possibility of Rohit (38) and Kohli (37) playing the 2027 ODI World Cup was brought up during the nearly half-hour interaction.

But he quickly took a more serious tone and said, “Why not, why somebody should not play the World Cup? For me, age is not a criteria, performance and fitness are criteria. I always feel nobody should be told anything. But things should be clear that everyone will be treated the same way.”

The 44-year-old, who still plays in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, stressed the need for experience in the side.

“Whether Rohit or Virat or other names that will come up in the next five years… whether they can or cannot play the next World Cup, it’s not for us to decide, it’s for them to decide. If they keep playing well, if they have the urge to do well for the country, then why not,” he said.

Dhoni added that experience cannot be manufactured. “You can’t get experienced people. You can’t get a 20-year-old who is experienced unless it’s a Sachin Tendulkar! You know you get experience at that age only if you start playing when you’re 16 or 17.”

India’s current head coach Gautam Gambhir has been non-committal on the future of Rohit and Kohli, both of whom now only play ODIs. Dhoni said any player who is fit and performing should keep his place irrespective of age.

“Treat everyone equally. People are performing, they’ll be there. People are not performing, they won’t be there. If the guy is not fit you can chuck him out at any point of time. If he’s not performing anyway you’ll chuck him out. So there should not be any question regarding any individual when it comes to selection. There’s only one criteria. You’re performing, you’re fit, keep on playing.”

 

India dangerous but beware of dew

The discussion then moved towards the T20 World Cup starting February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

Dhoni, the first Indian captain to win the title back in 2007, said the hosts will have to be mindful of the dew factor.

“It’s one of the most dangerous teams… what all is needed in a good team, everything is there. They have the experience especially when it comes to this format, the experience is vast. They have played under pressure. What worries me, I hate dew. Dew changes a lot of things. So even when I was playing, something that really scared me was dew where the toss becomes crucial,” he explained.

“Nobody should get injured, whatever roles are given, people should accomplish their roles for the team. And if that’s the case, I don’t want to jinx it by saying anything, but it’s one of the most dangerous teams,” he said.