MS Dhoni makes Virat Kohli more comfortable as a captain - Anil Kumble

Kumble also said that when Dhoni is in the team, Kohli can be assured of the field placements in the final few overs when he has to man the boundary ropes.

The importance of MS Dhoni to the Indian side goes far beyond mere numbers. As has been vouched by many players in the recent past, the presence of the seasoned campaigner behind the stumps is a big boost to young players as they can rely on his tactical nous.

Indian captain Virat Kohli, left, with M S Dhoni, right warm up during a practice session ahead of the first one day international cricket match against Australia, in Hyderabad, India, Friday, March 1, 2019(AP)

Also, for captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni is the shoulder he can rest on and formulate strategies to outwit the opponents. Former Indian spinner and coach Anil Kumble, who has worked with both players, believes that Kohli needs Dhoni in the side as it makes him a better captain.

“I think he is certainly more comfortable, rather saying better captain; he is probably a lot more comfortable when MS is behind the stumps and then the conversation between him and Virat definitely helps him make the right decisions,” Kumble told CricketNext.

“I mean it comes naturally to MS,” said Kumble. “He had been the captain for a long long time. He is behind the stumps so he reads the game better than anybody else. He obviously is in conversation with the bowler on the kind of lines that he needs to bowl, the kind of pace that the bowlers need to bowl. And also with the field placing,” he further added.

Kumble also said that when Dhoni is in the team, Kohli can be assured of the field placements in the final few overs when he has to man the boundary ropes. Also, the former skipper has the freedom to take over the role of the tactician when the pressure is amped by the batsmen.

“I think Virat certainly depends a lot on MS Dhoni in One Day Cricket, for him to have those proper field placings. So that is something he probably had missed in the last two matches. And if you look at last 10 or 15 overs – the second half or the final powerplay Virat is generally manning the boundary. So yes, when MS is there he is on the boundary line and suddenly he had to man the last two overs and the last ten overs under pressure. So yes he certainly depends a lot on MS Dhoni,” Kumble assessed.