By Durga Chakravarty
New Delhi, Apr 23 (IANS): Former India all-rounder Kapil Dev believes twin World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the biggest contributor to the gentlemans game. Coming from the man who himself lifted the 1983 World Cup in England, this is no mean appreciation.
As Dhoni walks into the last stretch of his international career, there has been quite a few statements made by former cricketers and pundits, especially after the most decorated captain hit a lean patch in 2018.
For Kapil, however, it is all about respecting what Dhoni has achieved on the field. Speaking to IANS, Kapil said: "I don't have to say anything about Dhoni. I think he has served the country very well and we must respect him."
It's almost certain that the showpiece event in England and Wales that kicks off on May 30, will be Dhoni's last and Kapil wants the former India skipper to finish on a high lifting another WC trophy.
"No one knows how long he wants to play and how long his body can continue to take the workload. But, there is no other cricketer who has served the country so well as Dhoni. We should respect him and wish him good luck. I hope that he wins this World Cup too," he said.
The only player in the history of the game to have taken more than 400 wickets and scored over 5,000 runs in Tests, Kapil has come out with a coffee book titled "We The Sikhs" and while his impeccable record is there for all to see, the former cricketer feels it will not be easy for Virat Kohli and his men.
"This Indian team looks very good. However, it won't be very easy. They have to play like a team. I hope that they will have no injuries," he said, adding: "If they have a stroke of luck, they will definitely win."
Interestingly, the Indian selectors decided to pick Dinesh Karthik, 33, as the second wicketkeeper over the young and rising star Rishabh Pant for the showpiece event.
Commenting on the move, Kapil said: "The selectors have done their job. Let's respect the team. They have picked Karthik over Pant, then it's alright. We should just believe that the selectors have done a good job."