MS Dhoni played a gritty knock of 50, but New Zealand held their nerves to secure a place in the 2019 World Cup final. Kane Williamson, had a cheeky answer when asked about Dhoni's selection in the post-match conference.
New Zealand entered the final of the 2019 World Cup with an 18-run victory over India in the first semi-final.
Despite the efforts from Ravindra Jadeja (77) and MS Dhoni (50), the Kiwis held their nerves to beat India in the knock-out game.
Dhoni had been under significant criticism throughout the World Cup for his slow batting pace. It was the need of the hour against New Zealand, however, even as fans and experts said after the game that the wicketkeeper-batsman could’ve accelerated a bit earlier.
An Indian electronic media journalist wanted a definitive answer on what he felt about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future, now that India’s World Cup campaign came to an end. Most would just state point blank that it's none of their business. Williamson exactly did that but with a touch of humour.
"He's not eligible to play for New Zealand," he said and everybody laughed.
"Yes, experience at this level and in these occasions is so important and his (Dhoni) contribution today and yesterday but throughout this campaign was extremely important.
"That partnership that he was involved in with Jadeja who came in and hit the ball better than anybody in both teams was very, very valuable. He's a world-class cricketer but is he looking to change nationalities? We will consider that selection if we have to," he said softly.
There were peels of laughter everywhere and it ended on a happy note.
