In pics: How ‘mentor’ MS Dhoni is helping Virat Kohli & Co. prepare for big clash against Pakistan

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Indian cricket team heads into the T20 World Cup 2021 as the outright favourites to win the title. While there’s no denying the talent that Virat Kohli & Co. have at their disposal in the showpiece event, the players’ on-field brilliance isn’t the only factor that has given them the tag of favourites. Another big factor behind the Men in Blue’s credibility is ‘mentor’ MS Dhoni.

• As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the India squad for the T20 World Cup 2021, it also named Dhoni as the team’s ‘mentor’ for this specific contest. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket last year, remains one of the finest cricketing brains in world cricket, a person whose sporting acumen remains unparalleled.

• With the Indian cricket team set to begin their T20 World Cup 2021 journey, Dhoni was spotted having one-on-one sessions with a number of players in the nets. Be it rookie spinner Varun Chakravarthy or skipper Virat Kohli, everyone sought Dhoni’s inputs on different aspects of the game.

When skipper Kohli was asked about Dhoni’s new role in the Indian team, the 32-year-old highlighted how the Ranchi-born wicket-keeper batsman’s presence is going to help the Men in Blue in a tournament of this stature.

“He has got massive experience. He is quite excited himself to be back in that environment. He has always been a mentor for all of us when we were starting our careers through till the time he was with the team,” Kohli said during the media session.

Kohli specifically pointed out Dhoni’s “eye for intricate details” and “practical advice” as a big factor in the BCCI deciding to rope him as a mentor for the tournament.

“Younger guys who are playing their first major tournaments at early stages of career will benefit. His eye for intricate details and practical advice will help improve the game by one or two per cent,” Kohli remarked.

It was also earlier revealed that Dhoni hasn’t taken a single penny from the BCCI for this role. The 40-year-old decided to take up the job purely out of his passion for the Indian cricket team and his willingness to help them improve.