Manish Pandey perfect fit to replace MS Dhoni, feels Shoaib Akhtar

With yet another wave of speculation about MS Dhoni seem to have been sweeping Indian cricket, former Pakistan international Shoaib Akhtar hailed young batter Manish Pandey as the perfect replacement for the veteran. Dhoni hasn’t featured in an international game since India’s semifinal clash against New Zealand.

Akhtar also heaped praise on Shreyas Iyer, who has slotted perfectly into the Indian side, with the youngster having played some important knocks of late. The former pacer shared that the duo of Pandey and Iyer will shine bright in the future given their IPL experiences and their superior skill set.

“Hindustan ko akhir Dhoni ka replacement mil gya (India has finally got Dhoni’s replacement). They have found a good fit in Manish Pandey. Shreyas Iyer too looks a complete player and these add depth to India’s batting,” he said on his YouTube channel.

“These players have played a lot in the IPL, they know how to handle pressure, they do not care about big names and hence, end up playing important innings.”

While Pandey hasn’t had much chances to prove his mettle in Indian colours with the top order firing in every fixture, the Karnataka lad stole the limelight with his superb fielding throughout the series. His standout moment in the Australia series was the spectacular catch in the Rajkot ODI to dismiss a dangerous-looking David Warner.