There has been immense speculation pertaining to MS Dhoni’s retirement although the legend has not clarified himself as to when he is finally considering hanging up his boots. However, the selectors will definitely look at long-term solutions which are clearly not Dinesh Karthik or Wriddhiman Saha since both do not have youth on their side.
Here’s looking at 5 players who can replace MS Dhoni as wicket-keeper-batsmen in the Indian cricket team.
- Ishan Kishan – Ishan Kishan also hails from Jharkhand and his star has been rising over the last 12-18 months. Kishan won the Under-19 World Cup with the Indian team as captain in the year 2016. In 2017, he was Jharkhand’s top run-scorer, amassing 799 runs which included a huge 273 against Delhi. He can bat flexibly with an average of 31 and 24 respectively as an opener and at number four in his IPL stint spanning 4 years. Having started with the Gujarat Lions back in 2016, he was bought in 2018 by the Mumbai Indians, scoring at a strike rate of 149 in his first season. He has also been playing for India-A consistently, having played 53 List A games, scoring 1780 runs while in 40 first-class games, Kishan has scored 2,538 runs. In 70 T20s, he has hit 1,628 runs so far. He is regarded as a quick and responsive wicket-keeper as well.
- Sanju Samson – Samson debuted at just 17 against Vidarbha. However, he needs to do justice to his immense talent by being consistent. His average of 36 in first-class games does not indicate his true potential. Samson is a cool customer behind the stumps and can also bat amazingly if he is in the mood, something that he has to refine further to push for a spot in the national team.
- Rishabh Pant – The undisputed favourite for filling in MS Dhoni’s shoes at the moment, Rishabh Pant is known for one of the most dangerous strikers of the ball today. He has an average of 36 in the IPL with a 162 strike rate. He also has two Test hundreds but needs to be more responsible while batting while polishing his glove work at the same time.
- Srikar Bharat – Srikar Bharat from Andhra Pradesh has played 11 unofficial Test games for India A against overseas A teams. He has scored 686 runs with two half-centuries and three hundreds. At the same time, he has taken 41 catches and made 6 stumpings. Delhi Daredevils picked him up in 2015 after he notched up 785 runs in the preceding Ranji season. In 2015, he was the first wicket keeper to score a triple hundred in Ranji trophy, a record which was subsequently broken by Rishabh Pant. For his state, he has scored 3,023 runs at 35.98 with a 57.97 strike rate in 53 matches. He is a good wicketkeeper and can even open the innings if need be.
- KL Rahul – KL Rahul is obviously being considered for MS Dhoni’s role in the Indian team. However, he is not experienced enough in keeping wickets though he did a decent job during two IPL seasons. He is a good batsman with the ability to accumulate runs at crucial junctures.