(BCCI Photo)
The legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose not to pick between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as his preferred batsman. Dhoni remarked that selecting just one favorite is challenging because there are many players who consistently deliver outstanding performances.
“It’s difficult to pick one among batters as whomever I see batting, he looks the best. But when I see someone else he also looks great,” Dhoni was quoted as saying during a promotional event.
“But as long as Team India is winning, I don’t want to pick a batter (as my favourite). I hope they will keep scoring runs for the team,” Dhoni said.
When it came to his favorite bowler, the former Indian captain, who has won multiple World Cups, chose Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah was instrumental in India’s recent T20 World Cup victory in the Americas, taking 15 wickets in eight matches with an impressive economy rate of 4.17, the best among the regular bowlers in the tournament.
Bumrah’s performance earned him the Player of the Tournament accolade.
“It’s easy to pick my favourite bowler because Bumrah is there. It’s difficult to pick a batsman because we have many good batsmen. But that doesn’t mean bowlers aren’t good,” said Dhoni.
Following the World Cup, Bumrah has been given a break and is not participating in the current white-ball series against Sri Lanka. When a fan inquired about his plans for the 2025 IPL season, the 43-year-old Dhoni chose not to disclose any details about his future in the tournament.
“There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court.
“So, once the rules and regulations get formarlised, I will take a call, but needs to be in the best interest of the team,” he added.
Currently, IPL teams are divided on several issues, including the rules for the mega auction and the ‘Impact Player’ rule.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah reported having a “constructive dialogue” with IPL team owners on various topics. These discussions will be presented to the IPL Governing Council, chaired by Arun Dhumal, for further consideration.
