Former India opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar believes MS Dhoni should return to domestic cricket to reinvigorate his career.
The star India wicketkeeper batsman has been off colour with the bat off late with just 189 runs in nine ODI innings so far in 2018. The 37-year-old is yet to register a half-century for India this year with his batting performances coming under increasing scrutiny.
Gavaskar feels that Dhoni’s return to the domestic arena will not just be beneficial for him but also the young players in his home state Jharkhand.
When asked by India Today if Dhoni should make a return to domestic cricket, Gavaskar said, “Absolutely. Dhoni should be playing domestic cricket and should be playing the four-day games as well because he will help so many of the emerging players from Jharkhand.”
Dhoni is yet to register a half-century in 2018.
“In the 50-over game you have limited opportunities but if you play a four-day game and play a long innings it is great for your stamina, for your legs, for the rhythm that you want in limited-overs cricket,” Gavaskar added.
While Dhoni’s tactical acumen on the field and his wicketkeeping to India’s spinners remains top notch as ever, his waning powers with the bat down the order has been a cause of concern for the team management.
The India veteran had recently gone past the 10,000-run mark in ODI cricket and still maintains a career-batting average greater than 50 in the format.