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What happened overnight that a mentor was required? Ajay Jadeja on MS Dhoni's new role in Team India for T20 World Cup

WION Web Team
New Delhi, India Updated: Sep 14, 2021, 02:25 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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MS Dhoni has been appointed as Team India's mentor for the T20 World Cup. Former cricketer Ajay Jadeja has reacted on the development and shared his thoughts recently.

BCCI announced a 15-man squad for Virat Kohli-led Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, with MS Dhoni being named as the team mentor for the marquee tournament in the UAE. The showpiece event will kick off in the UAE soon after IPL 14's conclusion, on October 17. 

As India remain without an ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy, the Men in Blue will be desperate to win their second T20 World Cup title. Under Kohli, India have remained a powerhouse across formats and even performed well in the last three ICC tournaments. However, they haven't returned as champions. Hence, the Indian cricket board has once again relied on Dhoni to work closely with the team as a mentor and help them end their ICC-title drought.

While many of the former cricketers have reacted to Dhoni's appointment as the team mentor, Ajay Jadeja also joined the bandwagon. However, he is surprised by the decision of Dhoni's addition and told during a discussion on Sony Sports, "It is impossible for me to understand. I am thinking for two days about what could be the thinking. I am not talking of MS Dhoni, the understanding he has or how useful he can be, I am not going towards that. It was like you sent Ravindra ahead of Ajinkya, the person thinks why it has been done. I am surprised. There is no fan bigger than me of MS Dhoni. I believe MS Dhoni was the first captain who made the next captain before leaving or they used to always keep changing whenever they wanted."

"When you made and left and that player has taken that team to a different level, there is a coach who has taken the team to World No.1, what happened overnight that a mentor was required? That thinking is surprising me a little," he questioned the decision-making.

For the unversed, Dhoni has accepted to play the role of a mentor for Team India only for the upcoming ICC event. Currently, he is gearing up for the second and final leg of IPL 14, to kick off from September 19.