Dhoni a UP product, says Dungarpur

Varanasi, May 15 (UNI) Emerging talents from Uttar Pradesh have changed the face of Indian cricket and Team India's hottest property MS Dhoni maybe based in Ranchi but the swashbuckling stumper too has his roots in the state, said former BCCI Chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur.

Dhoni's parents are from Almora, Uttaranchal which was part of the then undivided Uttar Pradesh and Mr Dungarpur said he onsiders the wicketkeeper-batsman as yet another UP product.

''For me Dhoni -- like Mohd Kaif, Suresh Raina and R P Singh -- belongs to UP and not any other state,'' he told reporters here yesterday.

Lavishing praise on the state for producing a number of youngsters who went on to join the Team India ranks, Mr Dungarpur said it was agile batting and fielding by Kaif and Raina, coupled with RP Singh's accurate bowling, that powered India to the ODI series win against arch-rivals Pakistan.

''Raina, R P and Kaif, besides Dhoni, have brought new life to the Indian cricket team and I wish many more talented cricketers from the state make it to the squad,'' he said.

Mr Dungarpur felt UP was never short of cricketing talents but suffered only due to improper management of the available talent.

Mr Dungarpur also predicted that players from the state would play a crucial role in India's World Cup campaign next year as fielding would play a seminal role in success in the Carribean.

Earlier, Mr Dungarpur inaugurated the World Cricket Academy of former Mumbai Ranji player Zubin Bharucha at the Diesel Locomotive Workshop (DLW) Sports Ground.

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