View source for India Fortunate To Have Dhoni Behind Stumps Says Captain Kohli

<br>MUMBAI, April 19 (Reuters) - India are lucky to have someone with Mahendra Singh Dhoni's ability and experience in the side and the long-serving wicketkeeper-batsman is going to be crucial to their chances at the Cricket World Cup, captain Virat Kohli has said.<br> <br>Dhoni has played 341 one-day internationals, scoring 10,500 runs at an average of just under 51, and his sharp glovework makes him first-choice wicketkeeper in the limited-overs format.<br> <br>However, he will turn 38 during the World Cup and while he remains supremely fit a sub-par 2018 helped fuel suggestions that age has diminished his batting ability.<br> <br>Dhoni, India's 2011 World Cup winning captain, seems to have turned things around with the bat this year.<br><br>He has scored over 300 runs in nine ODIs, hitting four half-centuries, including three in a row during the tour of Australia.<br> <br>"He is one person who knows the game inside out, who understands the game from ball one to 300 on the field," Kohli told India Today.<br>"I won't say it is a luxury to have him, but I am fortunate to have a mind like that behind the stumps."<br> <br>Dhoni was once considered India's best finisher and no target was deemed out of reach with the boundary-hitting right-hander at the crease.<br> <br>While some were calling for Dhoni to be dropped during his dip in form,  [http://cdjmcm.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=30566&do=profile&from=space http://cdjmcm.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=30566&do=profile&from=space] Kohli said he had earned the right to try to turn his form around.<br> <br>"It was important to give him space, for which people did not have much patience at that time," he added.<br><br>"Now after 12 months people are saying he is the most important factor in the World Cup, which is true. We knew deep down all along."<br> <br>While Dhoni's improved batting form has eased concerns, the lack of clarity over the number four spot could still prove to be headache for Kohli during the May 30-July 14 World Cup.<br> <br>India have included top-order batsman KL Rahul, wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Vijay Shankar in the squad, who could all fill that role but as yet there has been no clear choice.<br> <br>"We tried a lot of things," he said.<br><br>"There were a few combinations that we tried. Eventually, when Vijay came in, it was three dimensional - he can bowl, he can field, he can bat. He is a proper batsman.<br> <br>"That just gave us an option, saying why not have that kind of balance, which other teams have had all these years.<br><br>From that point of view, we all agreed on it.<br> <br>"We are pretty sorted with how we want to go about the World Cup. Obviously, who bats where is the decision for later."<br> <br>India begin their World Cup campaign against South Africa in Southampton on 5 June. (Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly; editing by Peter Rutherford)<br>