Asia Cup 2018: 5 Team India members who have something to prove

M.S. Dhoni

Still the man

M.S. Dhoni.

The man.

The myth.

The legend.

We all know about the legend. The World Cup winning Captain who sealed the deal with a six. That shot. That moment. It was the indelible moment of that World Cup campaign. 1983 had Kapil Dev's running catch. The class of 2011, Dhoni's six. But then there are many stories one can tell whilst talking about the legend of Dhoni; the 2013 Champions Trophy victory perhaps the least interesting of them.

There is the World T20 triumph; a young Dhoni in all of his long-haired glory who turned what was shaping up to be India's annus horribilis after the humiliation of the World Cup exit, into a celebration of youth and all of its seductive allure. Without the 2007 World T20, there may never have been an IPL; certainly, not the IPL we know today. There was the Commonwealth Bank series victory in Australia. And there were countless moments when Dhoni snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, taking the match to the very last over, one gunslinger against another; a duel he inevitably won. Perhaps snatched is inaccurate; he never looked like he was anything but in control of the situation.

The myth, then. The myth is fading. His identity has changed. The gunslinger is ageing. He still wins his fair share of duels, but there is something different about Dhoni in these situations. It would have been sacrilegious to even use the word at the height of his powers, but these battles are now competitive. He is no longer Captain Cool; that particular myth has been consigned to the shadows by Virat Kohli's Captain Angry. Except when Virat Kohli asks him to captain during the death overs. But he has proven himself mortal. We are now realizing that the Ice-man was only ever a man.

The man, Dhoni. That is what we are left with. Erstwhile Captain and tactician. Middle over floater. A declining force. Still a match-winner, no doubt. But a different kind. He can no longer bludgeon attacks into submission. No longer are doors smashed in with sledgehammers. He now picks locks with wires. As his skill-set has evolved, so to must his role. He must move to number-4 where he can control the middle overs with his fast running, and unparalleled ability to read the match situation.

This was shaping up to be a fairly nondescript series for M.S. Dhoni. Whether it was the man, the myth, or the legend, nobody was going to drop him. Least of all because nobody had yet successfully mounted anything even approaching a challenge. Even at his absolute worst, M.S. Dhoni was far and beyond the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the country.

And then the fifth Test match against England happened.

Rishabh Pant happened.

Until that moment, Pant had flattered to deceive. He seemed like nothing more than hot air. Over-hyped. Overrated. In over his head.

Smash. Over-hyped? Not likely.

Bang. Overrated? Adam Gilchrist certainly rated him.

In over his head? Surely you mean over the fielder's head?

Fifteen fours. Four sixes. One-hundred-and-forty-six deliveries. One-hundred-and-fourteen statements.

As far as the selectors were concerned, it was a Test match innings in name only. Rishabh Pant is going to be a part of India's next limited overs squad. That isn't a prediction, that's a spoiler.

Where does that leave M.S. Dhoni? He is in no immediate danger of losing his spot; not now, and not for the World Cup. He is still Dhoni, and Pant has yet to prove himself in limited overs cricket. But for the first time since Dhoni himself staked his claim, there appears to be a worthy usurper for India's limited overs wicketkeeping gloves.

M.S. Dhoni will want to prove that he is still the man.

He is not done adding to his legend.