What if: MS Dhoni was never appointed as the Indian captain?

It’s almost a given that MS Dhoni is responsible for India’s ascent in world cricket and their subsequent dominance across all formats of the game. As soon as he took over the reins from his predecessor, he brought results to the table. The paradigm-shifting timeline in modern Indian cricket began with the inaugural World T20 in 2007, which India won under Dhoni’s leadership. Save a few hiccups on the road, it’s been uphill for Captain Cool and his lads ever since, the brightest spot being the 2011 World Cup victory on home soil.

He has redefined the art that is captaincy. He’s dilly-dallied with risks and taken some of the strangest decisions on the field. Dhoni has marshalled his troops from an illusory blind spot and has set a definite trend in the game. Wicketkeeper captains are perhaps becoming the way forward in all levels of cricket.

That aside, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s contribution to India’s success is unparalleled. Peek into his shelves, and you’ll see three coveted pieces of silverware that every international captain has dreamed of owning. Look at his records, and you’ll find few captains who’ve maintained such an exceptional win/loss ratio. The obvious conclusion is that without an MS Dhoni at the helm, the Team India would have remained a sleeping giant, or perhaps even a gnome.

We reminisce, often. So why not, while rolling back the years, make a slight alteration to how history wrote itself as well? What if Dhoni was never appointed as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team? The ramifications seem frightening, and yet there’s some thrill which creeps in.

Where it all began – ICC WT20 2007

There are a handful of captains who handle pressure as well as Dhoni. Even India’s legends have succumbed to captaincy pressure. The effects have been apparent with Sachin Tendulkar, whose batting record took a toll when he was leading the side, so much so that he decided to step down as captain of the national team.

The story might have been similar in Yuvraj Singh‘s case, who was vice-captain during the 2007 World T20. With no Dhoni as the leader, Yuvraj would have certainly been given charge of a new-look India team. Perhaps with an added pressure of leading the side, he might not have played the fearless brand of cricket that he displayed in South Africa. Stuart Broad might have never had the misfortune of being walloped for 36 runs in an over.

In hindsight, Yuvi was the central pillar of the victorious Indian team. Hence, a slight dip in his performance could have certainly cost India the cup. Yuvi’s excess load of captaincy could have well gone on to result in that dip. The possible consequences – India may have never reached the final of the tournament, let alone lift the World Cup.

Would Dhoni have ‘finished it off in style’?

Cut to the 2011 World Cup, which had all the right ingredients for a victorious campaign. The home turf advantage, a side brimming with experience and of course young legs as well. But remove MS as captain from the equation, and India’s fairy-tale victory could fall apart. Dhoni’s substitute would have been Virender Sehwag, and based on his record as captain, India may not have gone as far as they’d have liked.

Dhoni was able to take some crucial decisions which turned the match around on its head. For instance, he decided to promote himself up the order in the all-important final against Sri Lanka, when India’s top 3 failed to make much of a contribution. In retrospect, it was Dhoni’s innings (don’t forget Gautam Gambhir’s spectacular knock either), which not only steadied the ship for India but steered it home.

Sehwag might have been defensive in such a scenario and focused on keeping wickets in hand instead of upping the ante. Perhaps Kapil Dev would have still stood as the lone champion to win a World Cup for India, had MSD not been in charge in 2011.

No white blazers for the Men in Blue?

When it comes to the ICC Champions Trophy which India won in 2013, the consequences of Dhoni’s absence as captain seem more straightforward. If you take a look at the Indian squad which played the tournament, the skipper was one of two members aged above 30, the other being Amit Mishra.

The flamboyant Virat Kohli who currently leads Team India was still 24 back in 2013. In plain sight, Dhoni was the only member of the team with considerable experience and an ability to lead a side in a multi-team event. His captaincy was a decisive factor in India’s triumph over hosts England in the final. It all comes crumbling down if Dhoni is relieved of his captaincy.

On the flip-side of it all, MS Dhoni could have still guided the supposed captain from behind the stumps in all these three tournaments, and many more. As a senior member of the team, he would certainly have a say in decisive circumstances of the game.

Even today, Virat looks at Dhoni before opting for a DRS – it’s called the Dhoni Review System for a reason. Time and again we’ve seen teams have a conference before the bowler runs in, a conference which includes the senior-most players in the team. Dhoni’s participation in those conferences would have had a marked positive effect.

It’s one of those million dollar questions really, to hypothesize India’s progress in world cricket in the last decade without Dhoni as their captain. There’s no one right answer. This tale of Dhoni’s non-captaincy is riddled with ifs and buts and might-haves. You, my esteemed reader, have the liberty to disagree with me and correct me if you think I’ve been too ‘cynical’. The ball is in your court.