Venkatesh Prasad asks MS Dhoni to step up for the betterment of the team
Despite setting the Asia Cup on fire with his smart glove-work and strategic interventions, Venkatesh Prasad has stated that MS Dhoni needs to step up more as a batsman. During the Asia Cup, the wicketkeeper-batsman registered scores of 0, 33, 8 and 36 in the four innings he played in.
During the
In his column for the Times of India, Prasad wrote, "At the end of the two-week cricket extravaganza in the UAE, Rohit Sharma and Co. emerged deserving Asia Cup champions. With the focus on next year's World Cup, the victory is a big statement of intent by the Indian side. Having said that, it was also a reality check for the middle-order, which still looks fluid. MS Dhoni will need to step up as a batman. Although Rishabh Pant is waiting in the wings, Dhoni's wicketkeeping skills remain sharp and a cut above the rest."
Amidst the horror show by the batsmen, Indian pacers still performed above expectations on the placid Dubai pitches. While Jasprit Bumrah dished out the yorkers, as was his
"While Rohit and the tournament's top run-getter Shikhar Dhawan's form augurs well for the team, for me, the most reassuring aspect of India's campaign were pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowlers' efforts on flat tracks
Prasad said the real winners of Asia Cup was the Asian Cricket and did not hold back while appreciating the performances of Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the tournament.
"While the champions are always one, there were many winners in the tournament. I believe the landscape of Asian cricket has changed considerably with this tournament. Lower-ranked teams have now challenged the powerhouses. In fact, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were ousted by less-fancied teams. It is heartening to see the spirit and determination with which Hong Kong, Afghanistan
"Although Bangladesh lost the final, their campaign has been praiseworthy. They fought hard and took the challenge to the opposition camp. There was hunger backed by
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