There is no one better in modern-day cricket than MS Dhoni when it comes to handling pressure. The man from Ranchi earned the tag of "Captain Cool" with his awe-inspiring ability to remain calm when the going got tougher. Be it with the bat or with the smart on-field calls, the World Cup-winning Indian skipper has taken the team past the finish line on numerous occasions.
At 36, Dhoni is facing a different kind of pressure. He is not the captain anymore, but a lot is being said about his ability to continue playing the shortest format of the game as his finishing abilities are on the wane. More often than not, the wicketkeeper-batsman has struggled to inject pace into the innings during the end overs.
Former cricketers VVS Laxman, Ajit Agarkar and Aakash Chopra were quite critical about Dhoni's place in the Indian T20I side after the Ranchi dasher struggled, yet again, during India's chase of 197 against New Zealand in the second of the recently-concluded three-match series.
However, Dhoni seems to be oblivious to his critics. During the rain break ahead of the much-anticipated series decider in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday (November 7), the wicketkeeper-batsman was seen involved in a "soccer volleyball" session with New Zealand stars, including opener Martin Guptill in the dressing room.
In a video posted by Guptill on Instagram, Dhoni is seen showcasing his abilities with the football at the Green Park International Stadium.
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In the rain-curtailed eight-over game, Dhoni did not get a chance to bat, but the former captain played a key role from behind the stumps in helping the team clinch a thriller by six runs. He was involved in the run-out of New Zealand middle-order batsman Tom Bruce, who had hit a boundary of his first ball in chase of 68.
Meanwhile, Kohli along with former stars Virender Sehwag and Ashish Nehra have backed Dhoni, saying the 36-year-old is still an integral part of the team. The Indian captain even went on to say that it was unfair to target his former skipper and that the team management "does not get excited or emotional" by others' opinions.
