We are playing in the sixth gear: Dhoni
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After the title triumph in the Asia Cup, Indian captain MS Dhoni on Tuesday said that the team is playing at their best at the moment and is looking forward to the World T20. The skipper reiterated that he will continue to play the role of the finisher to give more balance to the team.
“I think we are running on the sixth gear. I know technology has gone into eighth gear, but how we are playing cricket is adequate enough for any level of the game. We have to keep our intensity and focus from the first ball. I feel everything is set, I don’t think we have any more gears, so we are quite happy with the way we have progressed,” Dhoni told reporters at Kolkata after returning from the title triumph in the Asia Cup on Sunday.
When asked whether he felt good batting at No.4 in the Asia Cup final, where he scored 20 runs off 8 balls to guide India to an eight-wicket win, Dhoni said that he always felt good when it comes to batting and will continue to play the finisher's role.
"I always feel good when it comes to batting, something that is very important is a decent opportunity to bat. Looking at the composition of the team, 90 percent of the time I will be playing the same kind of role that I played in the Asia Cup.
"I will get to play 20-25 deliveries unless I promote myself, but more often than not I will have to prepare myself for that. So that will be my role and responsibility more often than not. I feel good about that and ready for it," he said.
Vice-captain Virat Kohli had termed the 34-year old as the “best finisher in the World”, after the Asia Cup win, but when asked whether Kohli was a natural successor to the finisher role, Dhoni said that a finisher is usually a lower order batsman, but it is good to have a batsman like Virat, who can bat even in the top order and finish a game.
"For me a finisher is a lower order batsman, but it is always good to have somebody like a Virat coming in at number three and he often sets the game for the others. It's for the lower middle order to finish a game, Virat is a fantastic player but the term finisher should be used for a batsman playing at number 5, 6 or 7.
The job profile of a finisher is different, one needs to think twice before hitting a big shot because there are not many batsmen left.It's a complex job to say who is a finisher but if we have three Virat
The skipper also said that the team is looking good for the World T20 at home, after perfect preparations, but opined that fitness will be the crucial aspect in the tournament. Â
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