Uncool Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has turned from 'Captain Cool' to an arrogant fool. This is not only because of his appalling captaincy and batting that was the sole reason for India's exit from the World Twenty20u00a0 Cup, but also because of his 'I-am-too-big-for-my-boots' attitude.

Dhoni's tactics during the match against England were incomprehensible. Having strengthened the batting by playing an extra batsman, the move to shield Yuvraj Singh - who could have single-handedly won the game -was suicidal. It was a defensive move while chasing a modest total against a mediocre side. Dhoni's justification to send Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Yuvraj to stabilise the innings can best be described as ridiculous. If that was indeed the case, why didn't the captain, who had batted at No 3 prior to this match, come out and hold the innings himself? He, obviously, did not want to risk failure in the do-or-die encounter.

His batting towards the later stages of the match left a lot to be desired. With the required rate touching gigantic proportions, Dhoni was content nudging the balls in the gaps for singles. There was no intent whatsoever to go for the big hits. This put additional pressure on the batsman at the other end and took India closer to defeat.

Dhoni may have apologised for India's ouster, but his apology too had a touch of arrogance. Yes, we are emotional people (as Dhoni said at the post-match conference) who feel terrible when our team goes down without a fight. But is asking the team to give their best expecting too much? This loss, combined with his attitude (like snubbing the media), threatens to take away Dhoni's popularity. He should remember that he has been playing only for a few years and that it is the media and the fans who make or break a player.

If at all Dhoni needs inspiration, he should look at stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble, who have played and accomplished a lot more than him.