Sri Lanka Vs India 2017: Virat Kohli Opens Up On MS Dhoni's Future

With pressure mounting on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India captain Virat Kohli, on Wednesday (August 23), made it clear that the wicketkeeper-batsman will be given a ‘longer streak of matches’ in order to help him be in touch with international cricket.

While Dhoni’s experience is second to none in world cricket at the moment, his form has prompted critics to take an aim at him. Recently, chief selector MSK Prasad‘s comment regarding his future cast more dark clouds over his future but Kohli has said his predecessor will be given a longer rope contrary to the popular speculations. With an eye on the next World Cup, Kohli said giving players including MS Dhoni more matches will help them to ‘find momentum and stick to it’.

“This coming season gives us an opportunity to define roles for players and give them time to execute it so that for the World Cup, we know exactly what one player needs to do in certain situations,” Kohli told media persons ahead of second ODI at Pallekele.

“And it helps someone like MS also because he doesn’t play Test cricket anymore. This long streak of matches will help him be in touch with the international games, find some momentum and stick to it,” Kohli added. “So it’s an opportunity for everyone in the team including MS to create good habits and sustain them over a period of time.”

Earlier this month, MSK Prasad had said that Dhoni is not an automatic choice in the team anymore and that the selectors would have to look out for other options if the senior batsman does not perform.

“Discussions happen about everybody. It is not just MS Dhoni (or anybody else). When we pick, when we talk about combinations, we talk about everybody. Whenever a player keeps ageing, for example, I was just reading Agassi’s book, Open, his life actually started after 30 years. Till then he won two or three titles. His actual life started after that. He lived with media pressure, ‘When are you going to retire?’,” Prasad had said.

“But he played till 36 and he won so many Grand Slams. So you never know. If he (Dhoni) is delivering, why not? If he is not, we will have to look at alternatives,” he had added.