But on the eve of the Indian team’s departure, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has made it clear to the new players that the cash-rich IPL can not be compared to representing India on the global stage.
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Speaking on the issue of captaincy, he said the decision will be taken by the BCCI.
Dhoni was responding to former Team Director Ravi Shastri’s recent comment backing Test captain Virat Kohli to lead the country in all formats of the game.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tweeted to inform the arrival of the players at the Harare International Airport with pictures of Dhoni and some of his teammates completing formalities at the airport.
If Dhoni would have opted out of this tour he would not have got a chance to play for India until the home series against New Zealand in Oct -Nov later this year.
With the BCCI stating in its advertisement that it will be desirable for India’s next head coach to know Hindi, Dhoni believed that more than language, the person should understand the country’s culture. Dhoni’s new look squad will be without seniors like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravichandran Ashwin. “There will be quite a few players in this bilateral series whom I will be playing with for the first time”, said Dhoni at the pre-departure media conference here on Tuesday. However, he now looks inspired following a superb run in the IPL, even squeezing himself into the top five bowlers’ list with 18 scalps.
Reflecting on the same, Pandey said, “It was a crucial innings (against Zimbabwe) for me and the team”.
As the Indian cricket team lands in Zimbabwe to take part in a relatively low-profile One-Day International and Twenty20 series, looking to win goodwill and not just the games, its members are not your usual suspects.
This tour of Zimbabwe might seem a walk in the park for some but more than the results, this tour is extremely crucial for Dhoni in various other aspects.
Saying that MS Dhoni can contribute as a player, Shastri had said, “By no stretch of imagination, you are taking anything away from MS. You may say that bowling has had a bit more exposure to worldwide cricket than our batting”, said the wicketkeeper-batsman. Jayant (Yadav) is there. All of them have been rewarded for their (performances in) domestic cricket.
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“For batsmen, in Indian scenario, we have always seen that you don’t get to play in your favourite slot when you represent the nation”. “From an availability point of view, we will have to see what is the best option and best for the team”. But when you represent India, there’s a different kind of pressure.
