"Everybody Misses Him": Shardul Thakur On MS Dhoni Ahead Of Ranchi ODI vs South Africa

The second ODI between India and South Africa will be played in Ranchi -- the hometown of former India skipper MS Dhoni. So, it is no surprise that Shardul Thakur was asked about the 2011 World Cup-winning captain when he came to address the media in a press conference on Saturday. All-rounder Shardul spoke about how everyone misses him because of the experience he had.

Dhoni bid farewell to international cricket in 2020 after announcing his retirement on August 15. Under Dhoni's captaincy, India won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 50-over World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy. Under Dhoni, India also reached the final of the 2014 T20 World Cup.

"Everybody misses him because his experience matters a lot. He has played more than 300 ODIs, close to 90 Tests and he played a lot of T20Is as well. So this much-experienced player, it is rare that you come across such an experienced player. We miss him definitely," said Shardul.

Shardul was also asked about the lack of inconsistency when it comes to India's bowling. However, the pacer gave a fiery response, saying the opposition bowlers have also been taken to the cleaners and one needs to see the pitch and ground conditions as well when talking about consistency.

"The bowlers who are coming to play here are also being hit for runs. If you look at the T20I series against South Africa and you criticise our bowlers, then you should criticise their bowlers as well because we won the series. Their bowlers were scored off as well. When you ask about someone's consistency, one should see the pitch conditions," said Shardul.

"Sometimes we play ODIs, where more than 350 runs are scored. In that case, every bowler will be taken for runs. India have never played a one-sided game; the