Why the Indian team needs MS Dhoni for a successful 2019 World Cup campaign

MS Dhoni has been a stalwart of Indian cricket and a legend of the game. He was the most successful captain of India winning a World T20, ODI World Cup and a Champions Trophy. He has won the IPL thrice with Chennai Super Kings. MSD is the best when it comes to wicketkeeping and is the role model of many quality players like Jos Buttler.

Dhoni can be called as a mentor for the current Indian team. His calm presence is what many teams yearn for and India is fortunate to have him.

Whenever the team is in a precarious position, the only time one has hope is when Dhoni is still there. He's an impact player and gives hope to millions. Dhoni is one of a kind and with the World Cup fast approaching, India needs him more than ever. Let's have a look at some of the reasons why.

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1. The best mentor Virat Kohli could ask for

Dhoni has been a mentor for Virat Kohli.

When you've stepped into skipper's shoes, you need a mentor to guide you. More often than not, players have mentors outside the playing field. However, that's not the case with Virat Kohli. He has the best mentor cum guide that he could ask for and there's none better than the man himself, MS Dhoni.

His leadership qualities are of great use as it allows Virat, who's one of the best fielders in world cricket, to field deep. MS takes care of the 30-yard circle and advises Virat whenever necessary.

2. Instructions to the Spinners

We have started seeing this very often.

Over the past couple of years, India has grown to be a formidable bowling side in the limited overs set-up. They have developed this habit of picking up wickets in the middle overs and preventing any sort of partnerships. The two wrist spinners, in particular, have been causing havoc in the opposition camp by picking up wickets in regular intervals.

Both Kuldeep and Chahal are very young and some might consider that factor to be their weakness, owing to their lack of experience. However, that's not the case. What's often left unnoticed is Dhoni's messages from behind the stumps to the spinners.

It helps them correct their line and invite the batsmen into their traps. Dhoni's advice more often than not works out. It not only helps the two young spinners in that match but also in the longer run. Dhoni is the most experienced player in the team and his instructions are gold.

3. Experience Factor

A perfect guide for the youngsters.

As I said, Dhoni is the most capped player in the Indian team and if this team wants to taste success in the 2019 World Cup, they need his experience more than anything. Dhoni has already won a world cup before and he knows how to do it again.

Dhoni has tasted success in England before, winning the Champions Trophy. With an attacking skipper at the helm in Virat Kohli, Dhoni sure has the ability to guide Virat to a World Cup win. His presence in the batting order is of much value as well. His experience in the middle will really help this young team to bat sensibly.

4. His batting prowess

Dhoni is the fulcrum of the middle-order

One cannot argue about this. Yes, his finishing abilities are diminishing but he still has some fuel left. IPL 10 serves as a testimony to this. He wound up the clocks back in time and showed us that one can never count him out. The ideal place for him to bat is number 4 as it gives him time to build an innings and then finish it.

Dhoni can convert ones into twos, twos into threes and then pitching in a boundary every now and then. That is some quality ability. He has shown us that he can adapt to any situation and bat as required.

Give Dhoni a fixed spot to bat and he will do wonders. Dhoni's batting prowess might very well be the key to India's World Cup chances, considering that he was the one who hit the winning runs in the 2011 campaign.

5. No replacement yet

Dhoni is the most unorthodox wicket-keeper one will ever see.

This is the unspoken fact. There is no replacement for MS Dhoni. There can never be one and that's simply because he's an excellent batsman, the best at wicketkeeping, and more importantly, a fine leader. Standing at 36, Dhoni is still one of the fittest cricketers going around and his wicketkeeping skills are impeccable.

A wicketkeeper plays a bigger role than you'd think. When the bowler knows that a reliable wicketkeeper is standing to stop anything that's coming towards him, it gives him the confidence to try out new lengths. With the ball expected to swing a lot in England, that confidence will play a major role. Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik and Wriddhiman Saha were tried in tests but none of them could succeed with both, bat and the gloves.

Rishabh Pant gave as many as 100 byes in the recently concluded England vs India Test series. That does tell one a lot. Dhoni's leadership is something that is hard to find in anyone. No wicketkeeper can guide his spinners the way Dhoni guides his two young wrist-spinners.

Dhoni's agility, unorthodox technique, and his calm presence is something that can never be replaced and he remains the best bet for me if India are to win the world cup next year.

MS Dhoni is a living legend and India are grateful to have him. With the 2019 World Cup fast approaching, Dhoni will be eager to retire with a bang. To conclude, India needs MSD in England 2019.