Team India's quest for an ICC trophy has been a prolonged one, spanning nearly a decade. The last triumph came under the leadership of MS Dhoni in the 2013 Champions Trophy. Ever since this triumph, an ICC trophy has eluded the side – the team has lost four ICC finals and was knocked out in the semi-finals on four occasions.
Under Virat Kohli, the Indian side became an irresistible force in Test cricket, but he was not able to land an ICC title. Rohit Sharma, who took over from Kohli, also faced disappointment as the team was knocked out in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year. Adding to the woes, India recently suffered defeat in the World Test Championship final against Australia.
Although India has achieved success in bilateral events, the pursuit of an elusive ICC trophy continues. The absence of a leader like Dhoni, who remains the only Indian captain to conquer all three white-ball ICC tournaments, has been deeply felt. Former India selector Bhupinder Singh Sr shed light on the reason behind the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to appoint Dhoni as captain.
What made Dhoni a good captain?
Singh explained in an interview to Hindustan Times that a lot of players had passed on positive feedback regarding Dhoni's approach to the game, his body language, and how he communicated with others.
“Apart from being an automatic choice in the team, you look at the player's cricketing acumen, body language, ability to lead from the front and man management skills. We saw Dhoni's approach to the game, body language, how he spoke to others; we got a positive feedback,” Singh said,
Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title last month and is India’s finest and most successful captain. As far as the India team is concerned, the upcoming tour of the West Indies, featuring two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is will present a new challenge to the side. While Rohit Sharma is expected to lead the team during this tour, it remains uncertain how long the selectors will persist with him as captain amidst ongoing discussions about his future
