Ravi Shastri: “He’ll (Dhoni) go down as one of the greatest one-day players the world has ever seen”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that wicketkeeper-batsman and former captain MS Dhoni will go down in history as one of the country’s greatest ODI cricketers.

Not only has Dhoni scored 9,967 runs at an average of 51.37, but he also led India to World Cup glory in 2011.

Shastri added that for Dhoni to maintain his level of fitness at the age of 36 is nothing short of amazing.

“He’ll (Dhoni) go down as one of the greatest one-day players the world has ever seen. And when you have that kind of experience, the level of fitness and what he’s maintained,” Shastri told India Today. “And like I said, there is no substitute for experience. That cannot be bought or sold in the market.”

While some people feel that Dhoni is well past his prime and is occupying a spot in the ODI side for no real reason, Shastri insists that he is still among the best finishers in the world.

“When it comes to finishing a game or batting in the final overs, there have been very few better than him in the history of the game,” Shastri said. “When you have that cushion of someone like him coming at No. 5, 6 or even 7 it makes a big big difference.”