MS Dhoni has a huge role to play in lead up to 2019 World Cup, says Virender Sehwag

What's the story?

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag believes that MS Dhoni still has a lot to offer to the Indian cricket team in limited-overs cricket, especially as the seniormost player in a side that is gearing up for the ODI World Cup next year.

Sehwag was part of India's 2011 World Cup winning campaign under Dhoni's captaincy and narrowly missed out in 2003 when Sourav Ganguly's Indian side was defeated by Australia in the final.

Recalling his first World Cup campaign, Sehwag said that the guidance of the senior players in the side helped him calm his nerves and prepare well for the pressure situations, and expects the current crop of Indian youngsters to benefit similarly from Dhoni's presence.

"As a youngster, I played my first World Cup 2003 with Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble and they were helping me out," Sehwag said during a panel discussion at the Global Indian International School (GIIS) on Sunday.

"These youngsters have a very good senior player like Dhoni who can teach and guide them on how to prepare themselves for the 2019 World Cup," he added.

In case you didn't know...

While Dhoni's role in the T20 format has been called into question by a section of former players and cricket pundits, the former Indian skipper remains a vital part of the limited-overs setup, with the full backing of skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri.

Extra Cover: Virat Kohli hits out at critics, says it's unfair to target Dhoni

Having retired from Test cricket just before the 2015 World Cup, Dhoni has placed his focus on the shorter formats of the game and looks all set to play his fourth ODI World Cup, in 2019.

The heart of the matter

Dhoni stepped down as skipper of the Indian side in the limited-overs format in 2016, allowing Virat Kohli to take over as skipper in all three formats of the game.

It has proved a win-win situation for all parties concerned with Kohli going from strength to strength with his batting displays despite the burden of captaincy on his shoulders.

Dhoni meanwhile has quietly gone about his job, helping Kohli out in the field with his immense experience and has been a calming influence on the younger players in the side.

Sehwag recalled how, as a young member of the 2003 World Cup team, he found the influence of senior players like Ganguly, Tendulkar, and Kumble, a boon and said that they were always ready to help out whenever called upon.

With his calm demeanour and unparalleled reading of the game, Sehwag expects Dhoni to play a similar role in India's lead up to the 2019 World Cup.

What's next?

The year 2017 saw India play the majority of their matches at home and in Sri Lanka but a tough schedule awaits the Men in Blue in the lead up to the 2019 World Cup as they are set to tour England, Australia and New Zealand by February next year.

The 12th edition of the Cricket World Cup will be a 10-team affair and is scheduled to be held in England and Wales from 30th May to 14th July 2019.

Extra Cover: Indian Cricket Team 2018 schedule

Author's take

Dhoni will be nearly 39 by the time the tournament kicks off in England next year but the manner in which he has been able to maintain his fitness throws the age factor out of the equation for those who question Dhoni's presence in the ODI setup.

Having played a lot of cricket with Dhoni, Sehwag knows the man inside out and expects the wicketkeeper-batsman to be an influential figure on the field as well as in the dressing room even if he may no longer be the skipper of the side.