Mahendha Singh Dhoni is not going to retire ‘anytime soon’

India’s limited overs captain Mahendha Singh Dhoni said on Friday that the team were in good shape ahead of the ICC World T20 to be played here shortly and members were in “auto-pilot” mode.

“We have played T20s in Australia and at home in recent times. The team are doing well. So, you can say that the team is in auto-pilot mode. Injuries have to be kept at bay. If every player is fit, and every player is in form then it is good for the team,” Dhoni said on the sidelines of an event here.

“As far as T20 is concerned, our bowling has been very good. At the same time, if you compare it with 50 overs it becomes a bit different. Because in 20 overs you know after one or two balls, batsman will want to go for a big shot, they will play aggressive cricket so you can play around with that.

“Sometimes in the 50-over format, we talk about building pressure and when playing outside India, if you don’t get wickets in middle overs, the pressure builds up, especially on the spinners and then on the fast bowlers in the slog overs.

“So that way, we can say that we are not very consistent in death bowling in the 50-over format. In T20s, we are looking very good as of now. The consistency is there for all to see be in death bowling or the first six overs in India or outside. The bowling attack, overall, is pretty balanced,” Dhoni added.

India beat Sri Lanka 2-1 at home following a historic sweep of the T20 series in Australia, raising expectations and firmly pushing India into the favourites bracket for the ICC event that runs from March 8 to April 3. Dhoni said he was especially satisfied with the performance of his bowlers and expected them to deliver in the ICC event.

He also stressed on the importance of having a side ready for every eventuality.

“Sometimes we have to leave out someone, so that overall balance of the team remains intact. Even if a player is ill or gets injured for two matches then also we have to ensure his replacement is there in the team. But at the same time it's ideal if a player is capable of being picked for more than one situation rather than saying that he can only be a replacement for one individual.

“Overall if we see at the 15 it looks like a very balanced squad. There are players to replace in any eventualities.”

Dhoni also made it pretty clear that retiring from international cricket anytime soon was not on his mind. The 34-year-old walked away from Test cricket in the away series against Australia in December 2014.

“After the Asia Cup T20 and World T20 there is the Indian Premier League. And then the team is mostly playing Test cricket and about five to six ODIs, which will be over quickly.”