One should not judge a player of Dhoni’s stature just by the outcome of three-four games, says Virender Sehwag

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s run-drought continued for yet another match yesterday as the former India skipper got out for 5 to a Ravindra Jadeja delivery. In the four matches he has played so far, he aggregated a paltry total of 33 runs at an average of 11. This also led to criticisms from certain sections of cricketing fraternity, including Sourav Ganguly, who raised questions over MS Dhoni's T20 batting credentials. But Virender Sehwag believes that it is too early to write off Dhoni, especially in the light of his batting position and past achievements.

Speaking to ABP news, Sehwag said, "The position at which he’s coming in to bat is very difficult. He is still the best at No. 5 or No. 6. There’s no doubt that he will be back in form sooner rather than later. There’s a lot of time left in the IPL. One should not judge a player of Dhoni’s stature just by the outcome of three-four games."

Although the likes of Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson set the stage alight with some brilliant displays in the ongoing IPL, Sehwag believes that Dhoni is an automatic choice for the upcoming Champions Trophy, which is set to begin on 1st June in England.

The former Indian opener said, “He recently scored a match-winning hundred against England. So I don’t think he’s out of touch. You can’t even imagine an Indian side going to Champions Trophy without Dhoni. Things like this can happen in a tournament like IPL." 

“IPL should not be a platform to judge an experienced player like Dhoni. It’s fine if you judge a youngster on the basis of IPL as it is difficult for a newcomer to showcase his talent in front of a huge crowd."

Given the supposedly fractious relationship between Dhoni and Sehwag, it is certainly heart-warming to see Sehwag come out in support of his former captain.