More thrill in the offing

Dussehra evenings are usually reserved for watching the finale of Navratra celebrations. This time, it was not about good prevailing over evil, as has been projected over decades in stage plays, real firework shows etc. On Friday night, what the world watched with immense interest, mostly on television, was MS Dhoni once again showing his cunning captaincy as Chennai Super Kings cruised past Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League final.

The desert duel lived up to its hype, though some felt CSK was past prime. The old players in the side, led by a 40-year-old man who still keeps the smile on, showed what it takes to win a final. At the end, the Field Marshal of Indian cricket — Dhoni — showed great character in not celebrating the title win with undue aggression but merely holding the trophy for a few minutes after receiving it from Dada Sourav Ganguly, and then handing it over to Deepak Chahar.

It spoke volumes about what Dhoni was, and is, as a leader. He has valued his teammates all along. He has valued good battles in the middle. And this time, he first spoke about the way KKR has shaped up in this IPL. Dhoni does all this not to win a popularity poll. This is in his DNA, this is his style. And the smile on his face, sensing victory, was not ugly but that of a leader showing what it means to be the pilot in the cockpit and ensure the final landing is almost like on autopilot mode.

To make Dhoni talk is not easy. He preserves and reserves his comments. But when he speaks, it is loaded with so much meaning. Last year, in 2020, when the IPL was shifted to the United Arab Emirates because of the pandemic, there was plenty of uncertainty. The IPL was being played shortly after Dhoni had announced his retirement from international cricket. CSK flopped and their fans were in tears.

Critics slammed Dhoni and CSK, their words worse than that of someone in an inebriated state. This time, the same fans are celebrating, as if Dhoni and CSK have finally eliminated Ravana, who has been portrayed all along since our childhood as an evil!

Where does all this leave MS Dhoni. He is 40 years old, at least that is what his passport says. On the field, nothing suggests he is old and he makes up for the dashing, finishing role with much more innovation and bringing the best out of his teammates year after year. One does not know what shape CSK will take in 2022 as most IPL teams are now due for an overhaul.

Dhoni is from Jharkhand but his heart beats for CSK. The same goes for CSK fans as, perhaps after cine superstar Rajnikanth, he is the most loved "Thala" not just in Tamil Nadu but all over. To see CSK minus Dhoni is very hard but given the flux that Indian cricket is in, anything can happen — more so with two new IPL teams to be introduced next year by the BCCI.

Up next for Dhoni is even a bigger assignment, to mentor Team India in the ICC World T20 which starts next week. Indian cricket has officially never had a mentor before. Amid the looming uncertainty and mistrust between the BCCI, and skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri, Dhoni has been brought in.

Will Dhoni call the shots is what fans want to know. Given his previous experience of having been part of the Indian team with Kohli and Shastri, there is little to worry about. The question is what really is the role of Dhoni. It seems very much like being asked to function like the CEO of a company. There is friction in the team and the biggest truth is that under the Shastri-Kohli combine, India has not won an ICC Trophy till now.

Shastri is packing up after this ICC World T20 and Kohli has announced he is done with T20 captaincy — for India as well as his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore. The transition has to take place soon. One look at the BCCI calendar shows there are so many T20 matches to be played after the ICC World T20.

Inside speculation is that Rohit Sharma will take over from Kohli in the T20 format. Whether that is the right decision or not is something only which the high priests in the BCCI can decide. Rohit's form in the IPL is very average and Mumbai Indians did not do well this time, like RCB.

The larger question is if India needs one captain for just T20 and the other captain for ODI and Test. There is one more edition of the ICC World T20 due next year and, in 2023, India will be playing in the ICC World Cup (50-over format).

Let's be sure, Rohit Sharma, for all the runs he scores, is not as fit as Dhoni at 40. The ideal situation will be to groom a youngster as a leader for the shorter formats. Dhoni has always believed in the past that a player representing India must have at least 100 ODIs under his belt as experience. What he meant was how important it is to have players with experience, as the big stage demands experience plus a good skill set.

If the BCCI thinks Rohit Sharma who plays all formats — Test, ODI and T20 — is the best man to lead over the next few years, they may be wrong. The BCCI would do well to discuss with Dhoni and then see who are the best men available to be groomed as leaders.

Cricket fans have already seen Rohit has had his share of fitness issues and was even rested early on in the UAE leg of the IPL this time. There was a transition plan in 2014 when Dhoni gave up Test captaincy abruptly and Kohli was groomed. Dhoni went on to play the 50-over format till the 2019 World Cup in England where India lost to New Zealand in the semi-final.

The BCCI would do well to look at players like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul to be groomed. The similarity between Dhoni and Pant is both have been accused of being average wicket keepers. Dhoni had his own shot-making style — with the patent helicopter shot worth watching.

As for Pant, despite the tons of criticism, he led Delhi Capitals well this time after being named as stand-in captain after Shreyas Iyer hurt himself in the first part of the IPL when it was played in India. Since then, Pant has looked comfortable in his role as a leader and bats with impunity bordering on arrogance. In one particular match in the IPL this time, his single-handed sixes were breath-taking.

KL Rahul, for the sheer amount of runs he scores, is being touted as a captain material. He is a good bat, no doubting that. What weighs in favour of Pant is he is a good learner and very agile. All those who said he is an average wicket keeper are jealous. After all, critics never spared even Dhoni as a keeper and said he was not the best in terms of being copy-book in his methods.

Indeed, the next few weeks will offer pointers to the future of Indian cricket. The IPL 'nashaa' will be overtaken by the ICC World T20. For the record, after the inaugural edition in 2007 under Dhoni's leadership, India has not won this trophy again. That explains why he has been brought in as mentor.

Like it or lump it, Rohit is 34 and age does go against him looking at the future in broader terms.

Views expressed are personal