MS Dhoni’s calmness under pressure reason for him being elected captain, reveals Venkatapathy Raju
Former India selector Venkatapathy Raju shared that MS Dhoni’s consistency in crunch situations encouraged them to name him the skipper for the T20 World Cup in 2007. Raju went on to add that back then, Dhoni seemed the most suitable option, with several other seniors not present in the side.
Former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju recalled how the national selection committee, then headed by Dilip Vengsarkar, came up with the decision that changed the fate of India cricket team forever. The selection committee, which also featured Raju, named youngster MS Dhoni as the skipper for the T20 World Cup in 2007, a decision which was widely questioned back then. But today, all the members of the committee recall it with pride.
The former left-arm spinner shared that the selection committee looked for a consistent performer to put at the helm of the ship for the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup and the India A series proved to be a guiding light for them. Raju conceded that Dhoni’s consistency, especially in crunch situations, is what encouraged the selectors to opt for the wicket-keeper as the skipper.
“Well, the guiding principle of the panel was simple - only consistent performers and match-winners will be considered for selection. We could do this because we watched most of the matches with focus on certain fringe players, who could go on to play for India. This is where the India-A series concept really helped us,” Raju told Sportstar.
“So, when it came to naming Dhoni the captain, he was the only one performing under pressure. His calmness and the way he handled things impressed all of us. It was a unanimous decision by the panel and we decided to go with him.”
The 50-year-old cited yet another reason for naming a then young wicket-keeper Dhoni for such a post - lack of game time for the seniors. Raju shared that most of the senior players were returning from injuries and outing them in such a position right away would not have been the right call.
“The other reason being many of the players, who were senior to him, were coming back from injuries or long breaks. So, we thought Dhoni was the best option and now we have no regrets given his phenomenal achievements as a player and a leader,” he signed off.
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