World Cup 2019: The dismal glovework of MS Dhoni

In the 2019 World Cup, MS Dhoni has struggled not only with the bat but has also endured a miserable time with the gloves. According to data from the tournament so far, the ace wicketkeeper seems to have lost his mojo. Also, his expertise with the DRS, which is humorously called the 'Dhoni Review System', has deserted him.

In terms of dismissals, he is the third worst wicketkeeper in this edition. He has successfully dismissed just four opponents in six innings. Australia’s 27-year-old keeper Alex Carey leads the table with 18 dismissals in eight matches, which is quite a long way ahead of the veteran Indian keeper. Afghanistan’s Ikram Alikhil and Mohammad Shahzad are the only ones behind Dhoni on the table.

Also, MSD leads the pack when it comes to byes conceded. His tally of 19 byes is more than double that of Alex Carey, who is second on the list.

Some of his decisions regarding the DRS have been poor so far. Against Pakstan, he asked Virat Kohli not to review an lbw appeal against Babar Azam, which would have removed the batsman. In their most recent match, Dhoni advised Kohli against going upstairs for a review against Jason Roy, in what was later revealed to be a genuine catch down the leg side.

Only time will tell whether a champion cricketer and legend like Dhoni can recover from this slump, recapture his form and stage a comeback in the final few matches of this premier tournament.