New Delhi: Ahead of Rising Pune Supergiant's third match of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL), something unwarranted was doing overtime in social media, calling for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's head. A rather rude hashtag which goes by #Dhonidropped.
And with that came critics coming out with fancy, variable one-liners. Some cited karma, purpotedly claiming that Dhoni was the reason behind the axing of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, etc from the national team.
Then there is alos a counter trend, in defence of beleagured 'Captain Cool', which started with #WeStandByDhoni.
Amidst the chaos, cricket fans seemed to have forgotten that Dhoni is still one of the best players in the shortest format of the game.
And his recent run of bad form – 12 not out, 5 and 11 – goes against his overall record. In in 146 IPL matches, the 35-year-old scored 3299 runs at an average of 38.81, at an strike rate is 137.98.
It certainly is bad time for Dhoni, at least in the IPL. He was replaced as the captain of the team by Aussie Steve Smith, then became the topic of online fiasco involving his fans and owners over a tweeter post which purpotedly belittled Dhoni's contribution with the bat.
But Dhoni being Dhoni, is still one of the best bet when it comes to finishing or orchestrating a chase. Those who are calling for his head should not write off the legend too soon.
The IPL is a long haul tournament, and Dhoni will sure find his game as it goes on. And it augurs for Indian cricket. He being there, in the mix, will only benefit Indian team which will defend the Champions Trophy title soon after the IPL.
