5 reasons why MS Dhoni should play the 2019 World Cup

The biggest tournament in International cricket is less than a year away. The 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup is scheduled to be hosted by England and Wales, from 30 May to 14 July 2019 and will feature 10 teams. Most of them will be engaged in a few bilateral series before that. But, the main focus has already shifted to the World Cup.

All the 10 teams have been trying to find their best combinations and players that will play a vital role in those conditions. The Indian team are no exception to this as they will be looking to win the World Cup for the third time (Previously won in 1983 and 2011). After having won the 2011 edition, four years later, India lost to the eventual champions and the hosts Australia in the semi-final. In 2017, India lost the Champions Trophy final to arch-rivals Pakistan. This time around they will be looking to go all the way and win the prized trophy.

Winning a tournament requires a collective effort. But in the big games, a couple of players can make a real difference and MS Dhoni is one such player. There is no doubt that he is well past his prime, but if India are to win the World Cup, he has to play and play well.

He had earlier stated that he wants to play till the 2019 World Cup. But due to his recent performances, people began to question his prowess. But he is still an integral part of the squad. So, let us have a look at some of the reasons why he should be there in the World Cup squad.

Experience of winning the trophy

In the world of sports, nothing matches experience and in a tournament like the World Cup, having experienced people in the team is always an asset. In the knockouts, you want players who have been in those situations before and have come out on top. You want players who can cope with the pressure and help others do the same.

MS Dhoni is one such player who ticks all of these boxes. He has been there and seen it all, from being eliminated in the group stages to winning the trophy as a captain. The team are yet to be announced, but we are pretty sure about the core of the team that will participate in the World Cup. And in that list, other than the captain, Virat Kohli, Dhoni is the only player who has been a part of a World Cup win.

He was the captain and played a brilliant innings on the night of the big Final. So, India will be more than happy to have the services of the great man in the upcoming tournament.

The Kohli-Dhoni relationship

England v India - 2nd Vitality International T20

Since Virat Kohli has been the captain of the Indian team, he has received a lot of help from Dhoni in limited overs cricket. Dhoni has openly helped Kohli on the field and Kohli has also accepted it, brushing aside all the ego. The two share a great bond and can be seen having discussions on the field.

At some vital stages of the games, Dhoni can be seen adjusting the field from behind the stumps, talking to Kohli about bowling changes and also trying to advice the bowlers about how to bowl to a particular batsman. In all, Dhoni can still be termed an "unofficial" captain of the team and credit must also be given to Virat Kohli for letting Dhoni perform that role. In the World Cup, Dhoni can play a vital role and help the bowlers and his skipper, who will be leading his side for the first time in a World Cup.

Dhoni is still the best wicketkeeper in India

MS Dhoni is still lightning quick behind the stumps

A lot can be said about his batting as he is well past his prime. Although he can still win games on his own, he lacks consistency. But when it comes to wicket keeping, there is no one who can match him at the moment. He may not possess the ideal technique, but he is still effective and maybe even more efficient than he ever was.

There are numerous instances when Dhoni changed the momentum of the game with his wicket keeping. It may be through his lightning-quick stumpings, some fancy and cheeky run outs or even via some great catches. We hardly see Dhoni miss an opportunity behind the stumps. In addition to this, a wicketkeeper plays a vital role in the DRS calls and having an experienced wicketkeeper like Dhoni, whom you can trust blindly, is a blessing.

His future replacements can wait for at least a year

Rishabh Pant is considered to be the next wicketkeeper for India

It is impossible to replace a player like MS Dhoni. He is arguably the best wicketkeeper-batsman to have played the game. But, as they say, all good things come to an end. A day will come when MS Dhoni hangs up his boots and the Indian team will be looking for a wicketkeeper who can also win games with the bat.

There are a few names that come to mind when we think about the next wicketkeeper. There are a lot of youngsters like Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and also some veterans like Parthiv Patel, Dinesh Karthik, Wriddhiman Saha and Naman Ojha. But India will most probably look to the youngsters and invest in them.

These youngsters have performed well in domestic cricket and in the IPL, but playing international cricket is a different ballgame altogether. Moreover, these players are still very young and have time on their side. So, they can wait till the World Cup and enjoy the last bit of MS Dhoni.

He is MS Dhoni

India v Australia - 6th ODI

MS Dhoni is arguably the best captain in the history of ODIs. He is the only captain in history to have won all three ICC tournaments. He led the side to the number one spot, even in Test cricket, and above all, contributed and played many crucial and memorable match-winning innings throughout his career.

As a result, he deserves a page all to himself in the history books. Moreover, he deserves to play as long as he wants to. He has been a nation's hero and an inspiration for the last decade. If he wants to play the World Cup, he should be allowed to. He is still one of the fittest players in the team. He is doing a great job behind the stumps and can play a few cameos here and there.

As the saying goes, "cometh the hour, cometh the man". MS Dhoni is definitely the man for big occasions.