Shikhar Dhawan identifies quality which makes MS Dhoni a ‘big leader’

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Any discussion or debate around Indian cricket is incomplete without the mention of MS Dhoni and what the future holds for the former skipper. He is currently not part of any Indian side and hence, this has led to plenty of speculation over his cricketing career and how the selectors are planning to look ahead at things. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan too has spoken on the issue. He believes that Dhoni, who has taken so many important decisions in Indian cricket, should be the person to decide as far his future is concerned.

Dhawan, who made his debut under Dhoni, believes the seasoned campaigner knows the strengths and weaknesses of each player, and that he will make the correct decision even on his future.

“Dhoni has been playing for so long, I feel he understands when he should retire. This should be his decision. He has taken very important decisions so far for India in his career and I’m sure he will make the call when the time comes,” Dhawan said on India TV’s show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ hosted by Rajat Sharma.

There was no one better than Dhoni when it came to optimising each and every player’s potential.

“That’s the quality of a big leader. He knows the potential of every player, and knows to what extent a player should be backed. He knows how to make a champion out of a player. India’s success during his captaincy justifies this. His (Dhoni’s) control is his biggest quality,” Dhawan said.

The members of the current team, including skipper Virat Kohli, has immense reverence for the Jharkhand dasher, said Dhawan.

“Dhoni bhai has been quite successful as the captain of the side. We are all very grateful to him and we respect him a lot, and the same goes for Virat,” he said.

Dhawan also spoke about the strong bond that Kohli and Dhoni share.

“When Virat was young, he guided him immensely. Even when he became the captain, Dhoni bhai was always there to help him. This is the quality of a leader. It’s good to see that Virat is showing his gratitude to him now,” he said.

The southpaw also backed under-fire Delhi teammate Rishabh Pant, whose performance has come under the scanner lately.

“Rishabh is very talented and I am sure he will have a long career for India. He is trying hard. There are situations when you don’t score, but then you learn from them. It happens with everyone and I’m sure he will learn from it.

“He (Pant) is a good player and we need to back good players. Even I went through rough patches in my life, and I still do. It is part and parcel of this game,” Dhawan said in an assuring tone.