The Dhoni Dilemma - 3 reasons why he is still an asset in white ball cricket

Of late, before and during every one-day series, there is a lot of talk about MS Dhoni's selection in the playing XI. It is a fact that Dhoni has lost the magic touch of a finisher; his strike rate in recent months has been less than 100, which is not good enough in this day and age.

The decline can be attributed to his advancing age which has reduced his striking power and ability to place the ball in the gaps. Earlier too he used to start sedately, but he had the knack of accelerating in the final few overs and make up for the slow start - a knack that he has seemingly lost. To add to his discomfiture, opposition teams have studied his batting videos and have plugged the loopholes, thereby denying him opportunities to attack.

With the latest change in the third Powerplay (overs 41-50), where a fielding side is allowed to have an extra fielder outside the 30-yard circle, the boundaries are better protected. With age, Dhoni's ability to clear the ropes has diminished, and that could be the reason he is hesitating to play the big shots like he used to in his heyday.

However, there are a few reasons why he is still a valuable asset for Team India in the ODI side, especially with the World Cup less than a year away. Here's a look at those reasons:

1. Wicket-keeping prowess

Even though Dhoni has lost the ability to strike the ball hard and long, his agility behind the stumps has not diminished. People forget that the primary role of a wicket-keeper is taking catches and effecting quick stumpings, apart from not conceding byes.

England v India - 2nd Vitality International T20

With India likely to operate with a couple of spinners in the dry summer of UK during the World Cup, Dhoni's role behind the stumps will be very critical against strong batting line-ups. Any half chance missed against a good batsman may result in a high score to chase, and it would also demoralize the bowler and reduce the sting in his attack.

Dhoni can still take all the catches and make all the quick stumpings, and the value of that can never be overstated.

2. Running between the wickets

England v India - 2nd Vitality International T20

One of the most important facets to batting in limited overs cricket is running between the 22 yards, especially in close and low scoring games. This is another area where Dhoni is still a force to reckon with.

Having lost the ability to strike big consistently like before, Dhoni knows the importance of rotating the strike and putting the player who can hit big back at the striking end.

On tricky batting surfaces, where boundaries are hard to come by, pinching sharp singles and more importantly converting the ones into twos can put the opposition under pressure. It can make them go into a dilemma whether to attack or defend.

In the middle overs, two of the fastest runners between the wickets in the world, captain Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, can run helter skelter and keep the scoreboard ticking, which can also unsettle the rhythm of the bowlers.

3. Experience

Australia v India - Game 3

Dhoni's vast experience behind the stumps will be handy while interacting with bowlers in delivering a particular line and length to suit the batsman. It can also help Virat Kohli with field placements and bowling changes during crunch situations in the game.

With only one successful DRS allowed per innings in ODIs, Dhoni's decision making could be extremely useful. More often than not has got his reviews right, which has prompted fans across India to name the system "Dhoni Review System". Even Kohli, who is known to go upstairs at every given opportunity, hardly goes against Dhoni when it comes to reviewing a decision.

Lets not forget Dhoni was the captain when India won the World Cup in 2011, after a good 28 years. That can only help the current leader Kohli in taking the crucial decisions required to lift the 2019 World Cup.