India without Dhoni: Challenges similar to Tendulkar's retirement

Dhoni’s absence is a golden chance for Rishabh Pant to prove his consistency as a wicket-keeper and unleash his potential

The Indian Cricket Team have left the country for a month-long tour to the Caribbean without the mighty finisher MS Dhoni. Many of the fans, or no, all the fans have a sense of fear in their mind that how the team is going to hold on without a person who has always been like an anchor for during the pressure situation. Dhoni has gone on a two-months sabbatical after World Cup to train with Indian Army in Kashmir Valley and the challenges that haunted the team during Sachin Tendulkar's retirement have come back knocking.

After the T20 series, India is scheduled to play 3 ODIs and 2 test matches against West Indies. And Dhoni was unavailable for the selection at that time due to injury. Many of us were speculating whether Dhoni will be dropped from the West Indies tour because of the lackluster performance in the World Cup. But he himself was not available for the section and instead had some other plans.

Dhoni’s absence: Boon or Bane?

In Dhoni’s absence, India has already won the T20 series against West Indies and are now prepping for the ODIs. And the skipper is confident enough that the team can very well function without Dhoni. As he has already said during the press conference that Dhoni’s absence is a golden chance for Rishabh Pant to prove his consistency as a wicket-keeper and unleash his potential at this crucial stage.

The 21-year-old, who is expected to Mahendra Singh Dhoni's successor was widely criticized for his shot selection in the first two games but came up trumps in third T20 International with a cracking 65 not out off 42 balls in the company of his skipper.

The young man Rishabh Pant, has a lot to look forward in the international cricket and impress the selectors so that he becomes a regular pick for the upcoming series. Pant has given a decent performance during the World Cup whenever given chance. And also, we all are aware that everyone is speculating Dhoni’s retirement this year or most probably after the T20 World Cup in 2020.

There is definitely this question that how the team is going to take on in Dhoni’s absence. But if we look back in time, the similar situation was there in the team when Sachin Tendulkar retired as he was the only senior shoulder left to guide Dhoni. But the team evolved over time and right now is World Number one cricket team.

And we need to consider the fact that Dhoni is going to retire at some point as he is 38 already. Therefore, the skipper, the coach, and the selector are aware and making plans to take the team forward without Dhoni and give chances to the younger generation in order to have such players who would last in this team for a longer period.

India is now highly hopeful that one of the lower-middle order batsmen steps up and take up the role of a finisher considering the absence of Dhoni and Hardik Pandya from the upcoming ODIs against West Indies.

Well, things look fine so far as this series is more of a prep-up for the upcoming series against South Africa and Bangladesh and we do not know whether Dhoni will be selected for that or not. But Indian team is surely thinking out a plan to take the team ahead without Dhoni and expects Pant to take the reins forward without letting anyone down.

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