Dhoni is still our captain, says Yuzvendra Chahal
Dhoni and Kohli share a wonderful working relationship
What's the story?
MS Dhoni may have stepped down as skipper of the Indian side in all three formats, but youngsters in the side still look up to him as an inspirational figure and Yuzvendra Chahal for one feels that Dhoni is still pretty much the man-in-charge on the field.
"Dhoni bhai is approachable. I know he has quit captaincy but we all know he will always remain the team's captain," Chahal said.
"Sometimes, when (Virat) Kohli bhai fields at mid-on or long-on, then we need someone who can guide us too. It is not possible for Kohli to come up and tell what needs to be done. Then, Dhoni takes over," he added. "Dhoni signals Kohli to remain at his place. He says, "tu wahi reh, mai dekh lunga (You stay there, I will handle)."
In case you didn't know....
Dhoni stepped down as skipper of the Test side during India's tour of Australia in 2014/15, while he relinquished the ODI and T20 captaincy in the early part of 2017 with Virat Kohli taking over the reigns in all three formats.
But time and again, Dhoni has been seen making the calls on the field in critical junctures and the understanding between Dhoni and Kohli has been a blessing for Team India, especially when it comes to making DRS calls.
Extra Cover: Top 5 Virat Kohli - MS Dhoni DRS moments
The heart of the matter
Yuzvendra Chahal rose to fame with his performances in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore and with Virat Kohli in charge of the Indian side, he has made his way to the national side in the limited-overs format alongside Kuldeep Yadav, displacing the more experienced duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Even then, Chahal states that it is Dhoni that the whole side still looks up to as an inspirational figure. With his vast experience, especially at leading the side to success in ICC events, Chahal feels that the side to still have Dhoni around.
Chahal feels that Dhoni's ability to read the mind of the batsmen is second to none and revealed that he often receives tips from the latter as to how to bowl to different batsmen and added that it has worked out well more often than not.
Extra Cover: Virat Kohli still needs MS Dhoni's leadership capacity, opines Sourav Ganguly
What's next?
Dhoni remains a vital member of the Indian side in the limited-overs formats both as a wicketkeeper and batsman and as Chahal said, with his constant guidance to the young side.
New Zealand and Sri Lanka await the Indian team next and the fans will be hoping that Dhoni sticks around at least till the 2019 World Cup.
Author's take
Dhoni might have his critics, who pick on his achievements as a batsman and skipper as lucky, but as words from his teammates prove, he has been an amazing servant of the Indian side and someone who the youngsters look up to.
Kohli might be the skipper, but Dhoni's inputs have proved a lot of help for the Indian side and fans of the Indian side would be hoping that the wonderful understanding between the two continues for long.