3 reasons why MS Dhoni could be prolonging his international career

#1 Promising but inexperienced successors

Pant is being groomed to become the next MS Dhoni

With the advent of IPL, there is no shortage of talent in India. The league is a real platform for domestic Indian talent to come face to face with international superstars.

With Dravid at the helm of coaching the India A and the U-19 teams, India has been able to unearth some raw gems that can be polished and converted into precious diamonds in the near future. Dravid has worked with these young talents and inculcated in them the values and mental discipline required to succeed at the highest level.

Three young wicket-keepers – Pant, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson – along with Karthik, are in the reckoning to take Dhoni's place in the side after his retirement.

Karthik made his debut before Dhoni in 2004 and has been in and out of the team ever since. Even though he has the experience, he has more often than not found wanting in crucial situations.

Pant has shown enough promise with his batting in Tests and IPL, but he needs to improve his glovework to stake a real claim to be Dhoni's replacement.

Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson are waiting in the wings – their impressive displays in the IPL make them contenders to the coveted wicket keepers slot in the senior side in the shorter formats of the game.

World Cup 2019 will be a marquee event, one that has made teams put on their thinking caps to figure out their best playing combination. India has more or less a settled batting unit now that Ambati Rayudu looks to have sealed his spot at Number 4.

Trading this combination with a less experienced wicket-keeper batsman maybe detrimental to India's chances, if at all they get into the business end of the tournament.