Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to be omnipresent these days, nonchalantly going about with the task of keeping a prying media, far too many visitors and fans away from the team. And the task he has taken up is as arduous, and important, as leading his men on the field.

For instance, in the three matches India have played so far in the Asia Cup, their batting has been the saving grace, compensating for what have, at best, been pedestrian bowling and fielding.

Prior to the tournament, Dhoni had said he would attend post-match media conferences only if India lose, and let the Man of the Match address the press if the team win. India have won all the three matches but Dhoni has showed up in all three media sessions, probably in a bid to field queries on the team’s below-par effort when not batting.

In fact, after the victory against Bangladesh on Saturday, he wasn’t waxing eloquent about Suresh Raina’s effort but was talking about the punishing schedule and a placid pitch taking their collective toll on bowlers.

There appears to be some logic behind this. Dhoni knows that till the time his team is winning, all is well. “It’s very easy when you are winning matches. But when you lose one or two, the criticism begins and that’s the time when it gets really tough,” he said. It’s clear if the team hits a rough patch tomorrow, Dhoni may just have an explanation.

Lately, the skipper just laughs off all uncomfortable queries. When a Pakistani journalist asked him how he focuses so easily on a match when the money in the game has become so powerful and he happens to be India’s richest cricketer, Dhoni quipped the headache was for his chartered accountant to handle.

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