'I believe he is still good enough for all formats of the game. He is still hitting the ball hard.'
His ability as a finisher in limited overs cricket has come under the scanner in the last year or so but Mahendra Singh Dhoni's century against Chattisgarh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy made rival captain Mohammad Kaif claim that the wicketkeeper-batsman could have still continued playing in all three formats.
"He has natural abilities which you saw today. I believe he is still good enough for all formats of the game. He is still hitting the ball hard," the Chhattisgarh skipper said after Dhoni led Jharkhand to a 78-run win against his side, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
"I have been watching Dhoni from his debut match for and always felt you cannot become a Dhoni just by practice," the former India batsman said.
Dhoni registered his maiden List 'A' century for Jharkhand, his 17th overall, and it came a day after he made a 50-ball 43 in a losing cause against Karnataka in their Group D opening fixture.
Against Chhattisgarh, he rescued the side who were reeling on 57 for six in the 20th over as his century lifted them to a healthy 243 for nine before Jharkhand's bowlers skittled out Chhattisgarh for 165 in 38.4 overs.
"We would have bundled them for 120 if Dhoni was not there," Kaif added.
