MS Dhoni, who has received solid backing from Indian management, remains a vital cog for the Indian side in the upcoming World Cup. Captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri have, on many occasions in the past, thrown their weight behind the former skipper.
However, there is this feeling that Dhoni could call it quits after the World Cup. Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, though, has a different take to the entire episode. He believes that the wicket-keeper batsman should play on as age should never dictate his fate and position in the side.
"Dhoni can continue after the World Cup. If India wins the Cup and Dhoni performs consistently then why should he retire. Age is never a factor if talent is there," Ganguly was as quoted by PTI.
After a bleak 2018, the seasoned campaigner has turned a corner this year and was the man of the series during India's tour of Australia earlier this year. He also played a critical match-winning hand for India in the first ODI in Hyderabad.
Has received backing of Kohli, Shastri
"Nobody is good enough to criticise MS Dhoni. If you talk about him, do you even know anything about cricket? Dhoni is like Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar. These guys come once in 30-40 years. He is an ornament to the game. He has been the captain of a number one Test team, and has two World Cups to his name," coach Ravi Shastri had said during the New Zealand tour.
His inputs from behind the stumps and his calm presence during crunch situations has been lauded by young players, who have conceded that they follow his instructions with complete conviction.
"Every time I bat with him [Dhoni] and I spend time with him, I learn a lot," Kedar Jadhav said after his man of the match performance in the 1st ODI in Hyderabad.
"I can't put it out in words. Every time I see Mahi bhai, I feel very confident. That sort of aura is like, that you see him and feel that 'I will deliver today'. He has the knack of getting the best out of every player and that's what everybody loves about him," he further added.
