M S Dhoni has been a captain with a Midas touch!

One of the most successful captains of Indian cricket team, he is known for cool captaincy which results in more success than failure.

He is known to be so sharp that his competitors across the globe try hard to analyze as to how does he think and take such quick decisions on the field resulting in snatching victory from the jaws of loss!

However, he is a human being after all!

Lately, his performance as a captain came under scrutiny after leading India to multiple losses during foreign tours. To his credit, he realized his folly and took retirement. But is that enough or does he need to have a rethink about his cricket career as a whole involving the shorter versions of the game as well, including one-day cricket and T 20?

While we did win the World Cup 2011 under his captaincy, we lost the latest edition in Australia. Now, if we follow his IPL game, despite topping the charts with maximum wins, the team Chennai Super Kings doesn’t look that formidable or unbeatable compared to its earlier versions. In previous seasons, CSK used to dominate, but this season they are fighting it hard. Also, the semi-final which they lost yesterday to Mumbai Indians was such a one-sided event. Needless to say, Dhoni’s captaincy leaves much to be desired! He didn’t look in terrific form both as a captain and as a batsman. Of course, getting bowled out on the first ball must have been frustrating for him, but is there something brewing below the surface that needs urgent attention?

We are talking about all the off-field controversies the team is involved in due to court cases of the owners owing to match fixing and power struggles going on with constant media scrutiny resulting in too much of additional unwanted stress. Either that or he is actually ageing and not listening to his body!

There is no doubt Dhoni is a terrific player and we can’t write him off just by one debacle. Having said that, the patterns have to be analysed clearly as well as action needs to be taken based on facts and not purely on emotions. He is out from Test cricket, one-dayers he is good, but for how long one can’t say.

And now even in a domestic league like IPL, even with a good amount of international players, his performance is not top notch! In this edition of IPL, he has scored only one 50 with an average of 32.80 which is amongst his lowest batting averages across all IPL seasons!

A leader has to lead from the front, but it seems Dhoni is trying to find his feet and stand firm on a shaky ground!

Let’s hope he regains his Midas touch and do wonders for Indian cricket as well as the domestic cricket he is proudly a part of!

The post Is M. S. Dhoni Losing His Midas Touch In Domestic Cricket Too? appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

After Australia’s big win in the finals of Cricket World Cup, ICC, the next day announced the team of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with Brendon McCullum as its captain.

Inclusion of no Indian player in the team has become a subject of debate. Despite Mohammed Shami’s amazing performance in the tournament, he was not included in the team.

The same goes with Umesh Yadav and Sikhar Dhawan.

However, West Indian Cricket legend Brian Lara, in his World Cup XI, included 3 Indian players.

Let us take a look at the ICC World Cup XI.

International Cricket Council

1. Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) (captain)

2. Martin Guptill (New Zealand)

3. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) (wicketkeeper)

4. Steven Smith (Australia)

5. AB de Villiers (South Africa)

6. Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

7. Corey Anderson (New Zealand)

8. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

9. Mitchell Starc (Australia)

10. Trent Boult (New Zealand)

11. Morne Morkel (South Africa)

Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe) (12th man)

Now let us take a look at Brian Lara’s World Cup XI

Brian Lara

1. Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)

2. Shikhar Dhawan (India)

3. Virat Kohli (India)

4. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

5. AB de Villiers (South Africa)

6. Steven Smith (Australia)

7. Glenn Maxwell (Australia)

8. Mitchell Starc (Australia)

9. Mohammed Shami (India)

10. Trent Boult (New Zealand)

11. Imran Tahir (South Africa)

The absence of Indian players from the ICC World Cup XI has become a matter of great concern all over the nation but getting in Brian Lara’s World Cup XI is not easy at all!
So what do you think? Is ICC’s team better or the inclusion of 3 Indian players makes Lara’s team a special one?

The post Brian Lara Announces His World Cup XI Squad, 3 Indian Players Included appeared first on Youngisthan.in.