Reportedly former india opener gautam gambhir thinks chances of MS Dhoni's return into the indian team are 'dim' if the IPL 2020 is not held this year due to the coronavirus outbreak. dhoni, who has not played for india since the 2019 world cup semi-final, was eyeing a return to competitive cricket with his chennai Super Kings side in what would have been the 13th edition of the indian Premier League. But with the pandemic still on a rage across the country, chances of the tournament being cancelled altogether have increased with each passing day.
When speaking on Star Sports’ cricket Connected chat show, Gambhir opined that since dhoni had been missing from action since the world cup, it would make more sense to continue with someone like KL rahul who has done well recently in the dual role of wicketkeeper-batsman. Gambhir said “If the IPL does not happen this year, then it will become very difficult for ms dhoni to make a comeback. On what basis can he be selected since he’s not been playing for the last one or one and a half year".
He added “The apt replacement for dhoni could be KL Rahul. Ever since he has donned the ’keeper’s gloves in white-ball cricket, I’ve seen his performance, both batting and ’keeping. Obviously his keeping is not as good as Dhoni’s, but if you are looking at t20 cricket, Rahul’s a utility player, can keep and bat at No. 3 or 4". If the IPL does not happen, then MS Dhoni’s chances for a comeback look dim. Ultimately, you are representing india, so whoever dishes out the best performance and can win the match for india should play for the team. Meanwhile, Dhoni's chances of being picked in India's t20 world cup squad will be "very, very bleak" if the 13th IPL doesn't take place, former chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth said on saturday without mincing words.
