Three reasons why MS Dhoni might not make it to the ICC 2020 T20 World Cup squad

Ever since India's loss to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, speculations have been rife over MS Dhoni's retirement. The former skipper has not played any form of competitive cricket since India's campaign in the World Cup ended in July last year.

Dhoni himself has been brushing aside questions on his plans and has provided no concrete ideas as to when his extended sabbatical will end. While Dhoni's fans are ecstatic to see their 'Thala' bat in the nets for his IPL team Chennai Super Kings, MSK Prasad, the then chairman of selectors, had made it clear that the selectors have decided to 'move on.'

"We are moving on," Prasad had said after announcing the squad for the series against Bangladesh last year.

"We've already laid the roadmap for the future; I'm sure you can see in the way we are selecting the teams. We had a chat with Dhoni, and he also endorses our view of backing youngsters," he added.

In an interview with India Today, this is what the legendary Sunil Gavaskar had to say about Dhoni's retirement.

"Dhoni's time is up. With due respect, the time has come. India should look beyond. With the greatest of respect to Dhoni, I think he should be going without being pushed out."

But, India's head coach Ravi Shastri still feels that Dhoni is very much in contention to make it to the Indian team for the ICC 2020 T20 World Cup later this year. This is what the head coach had to say.

"It all depends on when he starts playing and how he is playing during the IPL. What are the other people doing with the wicket-keeping gloves, or what is the form of those players as opposed to Dhoni's form? The IPL becomes a massive tournament because that could be the last tournament, after which more or less your 15 is decided."

However, if the 13th edition of the IPL doesn't take place due to the the Coronavirus threat (currently rescheduled to begin on 15th April) then it might further dent the legendary cricketer's chances of making a comeback to the side for the 2020 T20 World Cup.

With that being said, here are 3 reasons why MS Dhoni might not make it to the ICC 2020 T20 World Cup squad .

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#3. Strong middle order

Dhoni might not be able to fit into the scheme of things.

The Indian middle-order conundrum, especially in T20s, seems to have been solved. India's batting order runs deep. The batting line-up looks settled with skipper Virat Kohli coming in at No.3. The master batsman's position in the side needs no justification.

The Indian team has been able to effectively plug the critical No.4 position with the addition of the flamboyant Shreyas Iyer. In the recently concluded T20 series against New Zealand, Shreyas Iyer played a crucial role to facilitate the whitewash of the Kiwis.

He scored 153 runs in five matches at a healthy strike rate of 131.90. After a quick-fire 58 off just 29 balls in the first T20, Iyer played a game-changing knock of 44 off 33 balls, ably supporting KL Rahul to lead India towards another comfortable victory in the next.

In at No.5, we have the stylish KL Rahul. Rahul has shown great flexibility and performed superbly in various batting positions for India.

The legendary Brian Lara is extremely impressed with Rahul. This is what the former West Indian skipper had to say.

"He's just class. I mean, when you are watching a player, you want to see him play, you want to see great technique, a good aggressive spirit as well. He is a great entertainer, he's a great person to watch bat. This is as simple as that."

At No.6, we have the swashbuckling all-rounder Hardik Pandya who has been in riveting form since his return from injury. The dynamic all-rounder smashed a 39-ball hundred in the Reliance Cup and followed that up with a blistering 158 off just 55 balls to announce his arrival in style. And, we have the mercurial all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, whose accurate left-arm spin and lusty blows at the fag end of the innings makes him an asset for the side.

Manish Pandey has also thrown his hat in the ring for a place in the middle order with some scintillating performances in the T20 series against New Zealand. The right-handed batsman scored a crucial half-century for his side in the fourth T20 against the Kiwis. Also, with his lightning-quick fielding, Pandey adds value to an already supremely fit Indian side.

So, with India having a settled look to its batting order, Dhoni might not be able to fit into the 'scheme of things.'

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#2.The emergence of KL Rahul

Rahul seems to have sealed his spot in the side with his stupendous performances with the bat.

Ever since MS Dhoni's sabbatical, Rishabh Pant had been donning the gloves behind the wickets for India. But, an untimely concussion to Pant in the middle of the three-match ODI series against Australia surprisingly made way for KL Rahul. Pant's prolonged inconsistencies with both the bat and the gloves made it easier for Kohli to go ahead with KL Rahul as the specialist wicketkeeper-batsman for the team. In the year 2020, Rahul averages a colossal 53.83 and also has three half-centuries to his name.

In fact, the Indian skipper was effusive in his praise for Rahul. This is what Kohli had to say.

"Rahul really brings in a good balance if he can keep and bat that well in that position (No. 5). He has come into the slot and he has done well, so we will have to persist with that a little bit and see where that takes us, and not necessarily be confused about other options we have."

In most of the Indian stadiums, Pant was booed and chants of MS Dhoni reverberated the stadiums. But the good news for Rahul is that along with the skipper, the fans too have warmed up to him.

Currently, Rahul seems to have sealed his spot in the side as the wicket-keeper batsman with his stupendous performances with the bat.

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#1. Dhoni's waning finishing abilities

With his famed finishing abilities on the wane, Dhoni is not the same batsman that he once was.

Dhoni's dismissal in the ICC World Cup 2019 semi-final against New Zealand will be remembered for a long time to come. Dhoni's slow start and his inability to effectively up the ante during the final overs cost India its ticket to the World Cup final.

Set a modest target of 240, the Indian side was tottering at 92/6 when Jadeja joined Dhoni in the middle. Jadeja was going all guns blazing against the Kiwi bowlers and Dhoni was providing the right stability. The partnership was flourishing.

And then, tragedy struck when Boult scalped Jadeja. India required 31 runs off the last 2 overs. The 'world's best finisher' was on strike and the entire country relied on Dhoni to get the job done. The former skipper scored 50 off 72 balls at a strike rate of 69.44 in the semi-final and failed to take India past the finish line.

Dhoni's finishing abilities have been on the decline for quite some time now. Take, for example, the T20 match that India played against West Indies at Lauderhill in August 2016. Set a daunting target of 256, India was well on course to a gripping victory thanks to a superb 62 by Rohit Sharma and a quick-fire century by KL Rahul. India needed just 8 runs off the last 6 deliveries.

Dhoni was on strike. Dropped off the first ball he faced by Samuels,the equation for the Indian side boiled down to two runs off the last ball.

A slower delivery by Dwayne Bravo induced a false shot in Dhoni. The veteran batsman sliced the delivery, the ball took the leading edge and landed straight into the waiting hands of Marlon Samuels at third man. This is not an isolated incident.

There have been many matches in the recent past where Dhoni has been unable to get his side past the finish line. In the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni was tied down by the Afghanistan bowlers during the 2019 World Cup and scratched his way to a painstaking 52 ball 28.

The iconic cricketer is 38 years old and is not getting any younger. And, with his famed finishing abilities on the wane, Dhoni is not the same batsman that he once was.

The above factors mean that the legendary cricketer might well miss the bus for the 2020 World T20 to be played in Australia later this year.