ICC World Cup 2019 | MS Dhoni is captain of all captains, says Suresh Raina
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Suresh Raina has heaped praise on former India captain MS Dhoni ahead of the start of the ICC World Cup 2019 in England and said that Dhoni is the ācaptain of all captainsā. Raina singled out the hard-hitting all-rounder Hardik Pandya as the key player for India in the coming weeks in England.
The ICC World Cup 2019 is just two days away and most of the international teams have a faint idea of what their starting XI is going to look like in the tournament. However, Suresh Raina is confident about theĀ Indian teamās prospects at the global showpiece event due to one primary factor - MS Dhoni.
The Chennai Super Kings cricketer, who played under Dhoni in the latest season of the IPL, revealed that while Virat Kohli might be the captain on paper, it is Dhoni who calls the shots on the pitch.
"He is a confident player, captain and a team player. It's a very big World Cup for him. He knows his role well. He needs to give confidence to his players. Everything looks in our favour. The intent has to be positive. This is the best team to win the World Cup
"Virat feels confident when Dhoni is behind the stumps. Dhoni is the captain of the captains. He has always acknowledged that. On paper he's not the captain. On the ground he's the captain for Virat I think," Raina said in a recent interview with IndiaToday.
Raina, who was a part of Indiaās World Cup winning squad in 2011, further added that Mumbai Indians all-rounder - Hardik Pandya - will play a key role at the upcoming World Cup in England.
"He can field and bat well, can bowl 6-7 crucial overs. He can bat anywhere. He needs to get a lot of confidence from the management to express himself. If he can take his IPL confidence to the World Cup, he will be our game changer.
"I think he will be the most important player for India in this World Cup. I won't be surprised if he gets the man of the tournament, should we make the last-four," Raina, who played 226 ODIs for India, added.
