Calcutta: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s role in India’s ICC World Twenty20 triumph came in for high praise from two former India openers and ex-BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The following are excerpts from what they had to say (alphabetically):

JAGMOHAN DALMIYA: We had earlier won the under-15 and under-19 World Cup titles besides the historic 1983 triumph by Kapil’s team. Twenty20 was the only frontier that remained to be conquered which we achieved today. History will remember our victory at the Wanderers as one fashioned by youngsters under a new captain… Dhoni led with maturity.

DEVANG GANDHI: It was a really a close finish and could have gone either way, but I had backed India to win after the way they knocked out big guns South Africa and Australia. The pressure was well handled by all the players, who showed that this is definitely a game for youngsters. The standard of fielding and running between the wickets was something I have rarely seen from any Indian team. It was really heartening to see Dhoni’s men perform the way they did. They have given the selectors a very good back-up strength to choose from when our seniors quit. I was very impressed by Dhoni’s calm and assured captaincy. I won’t be surprised if he is given the Test job too.

ARUN LAL: Though I didn’t expect India to emerge champions at the start of the tournament, I honestly thought they were the favourites going into the final. Why? Because they had been playing well in the last three matches and beat England, South Africa and Australia. This is a young team, which gelled really well and enjoyed their cricket. They played fearless cricket under Dhoni who showed a very refreshing approach. This side is ideal not only for Twenty20 but also for the 50-overs-a-side format.