New Delhi [India], October 16 : Former wicketkeeper batter Parthiv Patel believes there is no comparison between 'Captain Cool' MS Dhoni and former Sri Lanka maestro Kumar Sangakkara, as the legendary Indian was "above everyone else" as a wicketkeeper and captain.
Dhoni and Sangakkara, two contemporaries who relentlessly stayed in contention for the number one spot during their era, went head-to-head in the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The two captains left their impression with their usual mojo, but it was Dhoni's side that ended the night by lifting the World Cup title.
The flamboyant skipper had saved his best for the last, walloped an unbeaten 91 off 79 deliveries, struck the winning maximum to take India to glory and was adjudged the Player of the Match. While citing his experience of playing under Sangakkara at the Deccan Chargers (now defunct), Parthiv explained that Dhoni was in a league of his own.
"There is no comparison. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a far better wicketkeeper captain than Sangakkara because I played with Sangakkara in the Deccan Chargers when he was the keeper-captain. It's not that he was bad. There's no disrespect, but Dhoni as a captain, wicketkeeper was above everyone else," Parthiv said on 'The Great Indian Cricket Show'.
Parthiv further delved into the debate of who would be a better left-handed wicketkeeper batsman among Adam Gilchrist, Rishabh Pant and Sangakkara. For Parthiv, the obvious choice was the destructive Australian wicketkeeper Gilchrist, a "complete package" during his playing days. The 40-year-old revealed the premise behind his selection and stated that Pant is a "work-in-progress", while Sangakkara didn't serve as a wicketkeeper throughout his career.
"Adam Gilchrist. Obviously, Sangakkara was a different player in style and grace. But he didn't play his entire career as a wicketkeeper batsman. Sometimes as a batsman, sometimes as a wicketkeeper. Rishabh Pant, I think, is still a work-in-progress as far as white-ball cricket is concerned. But I think Adam Gilchrist is the complete package in terms of white-ball and Test cricket," Parthiv added.
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