Tonight, it could well be the last time for MS Dhoni at the Eden Gardens. In fact, if it isn’t, I will be surprised. Rationally speaking, Dhoni should become coach or mentor of the team next year and guide the next generation. For most, it is one last time to see Dhoni in action. Bat for a few balls and hit a few shots.
For me, the reality is I don’t want to see him bat at the Eden Gardens. It could well be the cricket tragic in me speaking but I don’t want to see the present Dhoni bat against the likes of Varun Chakravarty and Sunil Narine. On a wicket where there will be assistance, it is more than likely that he will struggle.
The skill isn’t there anymore against quality spin and that’s what I don’t want to see. The picture postcard for me is the Dhoni who dominates. Hits sixes and fours and wins games for India and CSK. This isn’t the Dhoni of my liking and I don’t want to see him bat at Eden Gardens.
Yes I’d like to see him keep wickets. Behind the stumps, he is still the best and I do want to see him execute one of those lightning fast stumpings. Maybe the combination of Dhoni and Jadeja.
The perfect left-arm spinner’s delivery. Pitched on middle and off, and just as the batter lunges forward, the ball does enough to evade the bat. The back foot is just about dragged outside and it gives the keeper a 50 percent chance at best. But then it’s Dhoni. Anticipation, reflex and execution are all perfect and even before the batter knows, the bails are off in a whiff. All of Eden erupts for one final time for Indian cricket’s cult hero and one of Kolkata’s favourite cricketers of all time.
What I am also interested in seeing is how the fans behave tonight. Will they turn up in yellow or will it be a majority of purple and gold? It is an individual versus a brand. Will they choose brand KKR or will they back the legend of MS Dhoni? A couple of years back, Kolkata had turned yellow for Dhoni. But will it be the same tonight when CSK isn’t the same team anymore and KKR still has a lifeline? Is it about emotion or reason?
The other important thing is how KKR deals with Dhoni. Will Ajinkya Rahane do a Gautam Gambhir and attack MSD, the moment he steps out? Will it turn into a psychological battle of sorts? IPL could peak tonight in Kolkata as Eden Gardens is all ready.
With Sujan Mukherjee all set to dish out another superb cricket wicket, which could see 200 runs scored, it promises to be a fantastic evening out. Only as an MSD supporter you don’t want to see him bat for reasons mentioned above. You don’t want to see him fidget in the crease and get exposed against quality spin. You want to see him in his elements, with 65000 fans celebrating him in full earnest. It is the last dance and the farewell should be a fitting one.