3 reasons why India must persist with Dhoni until the conclusion of 2019 World Cup

India has finally reached their last phase of the England tour. ODI and T20I series were completed with each team clinching a series each. The much-awaited test series will kick-off from Aug 01, 2018. However, the focus and debate remain on a person who does not even play test cricket anymore and retired from the pinnacle format almost four years ago. The man in the question is ‘Mahendra Singh Dhoni.’

Dhoni’s form in this year's edition of IPL created a considerable buzz among the Indian fans. ‘Vintage Dhoni is back’ was the most uttered sentence among the Indian cricket team fans. However, those beliefs were completely shattered when Dhoni failed miserably in the ODI series. With no.4 conundrum still not resolved, Dhoni’s position in the team is a fresh headache for the Indian team at the end of the ODI series.

His batting prowess has declined over the years. Still, he has very much to contribute to this current Indian ODI team. Here are the three reasons why India must persist with Dhoni until the conclusion of 2019 World Cup.

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#3 Contributions from behind the stumps

Dhoni's 'blind' run-out in an ODI against New Zealand

It is true that Dhoni’s death-overs batting (finishing) skill has descended over the years. He openly expressed his desire to bat higher up the order. However, Dhoni, ‘the Wicket-keeper’ has evolved over the years.

No one in the world cricket right now can match his lightning speed stumpings and blinded run-out throws. Even the great former Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy will fell short against Dhoni’s skills. Batsmen will dare to step out of their crease if Dhoni is behind the stumps. In fact, Dhoni is the first player to reach the landmark of 100 (and counting) stumping dismissals in the 50-over format. In the T20Is, Dhoni leads the overall dismissal record with 54 catches and 33 stumpings.

Besides, the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal openly stated that Dhoni’s guidance from behind the stumps is one of the key factors behind their successful run in the limited overs format. Moreover, one should not forget the ‘Dhoni Review System.’

#2 His ouster will create chaos

Dhoni announced his Test retirement on December 30, 2014

With just a year left for the marquee event, AB de Villiers announced a shocking retirement at the end of this year IPL. His sudden departure has created a massive void in the South African setup in all the three formats of the game. The aftermath of his absence can be visible in the ongoing test series against Sri Lanka. Replacing a player like ABD is impossible. The same applies to MSD.

Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket in 2014 has not affected the Indian test squad much since he has a mediocre test record when compared to his own ODI heroics. His ouster will create absolute chaos like the one South Africa is undergoing right now.

The person who replaces Dhoni will have huge boots to fill. The level of expectation will be immensely high. At the end of every failure, everyone will compare Dhoni with that person. Moreover, the person will only have a handful of 15-20 odd games to prove his worth before the World Cup. It is impossible for a cricketer to satisfy everyone and perform exceptionally well within such a short span of time.

#1 Experience

Kohli loves to extract knowledge from Dhoni

EXPERIENCE - This 10-letter word is‘Gold’ in any sports. Irrespective of the sport, ‘Experience’ always plays a major role in deciding a winner, especially in a do-or-die situation. Even though ‘Skill’ is the main attribute for any sportsman, ‘Experience + Skill’ will always be the deciding factor in a crunching situation.

90 Tests, 321 ODIs, 93 T20Is, 175 IPL games - These are not mere numbers. These are invaluable experiences, which includes a huge chunk of do-or-die situations. Despite a ‘C’ or ‘VC’ not attached at the end of his name, one can see that he is making the fielding changes most of the times. Moreover, he is the first person to whom Kohli runs up to whenever the team is in a critical situation. Especially in the case of DRS (Decision Review System), Dhoni is the ultimate decision-maker in the team.

With the World Cup almost less than a year away, it is better to stick with Dhoni until the conclusion of the marquee event.

At the same time, fresh blood must be injected into the ODI setup post the 2019 World Cup.