Dhoni's ascendency to captaincy

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is now India's one-day captain and Rohit Brijnath, writing in the Hindu, feels Dhoni must be protected while taking on this high-pressure job.

The BCCI must give the captain a media officer to act as a buffer. India’s media is massive, and no different from say English football where informed reporters work alongside less salubrious souls, but it can overpower a captain. A wise, organised team manager (as opposed to fellows who sight-see) eases tensions, he affords the captain more time and space. A smart coach does the homework, runs practices, deflects criticism. These are the very basic protections.

Meanwhile, the Times of India's Avijit Ghosh profiles the increasing prevalence of small-town cricketers.

Dhoni's rise isn't just about the invisible geographical jostling between small-town India and the metros. It is also about the shifting equation of classes. Even in the past cricketers from underprivileged backgrounds, notably Eknath Solkar, have played for India.

But the son of a pump operator becoming India's captain perhaps explains why the game continues to attract millions across the country: for all its flaws, cricket remains a forceful avenue of social mobility where compared to nepotism-driven Bollywood, the chances of finding a platform to perform and succeed is far better.