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Old dog, new tricks?

After Virat Kohli's stupendously successful start as India captain (admittedly in a different format), the cries for Dhoni to be replaced as captain for the shorter formats will undoubtedly renew again. And while Kohli might be ready to take over, I think India still have a lot to gain from Dhoni the batsman and captain at the Champions Trophy in England next year.

Aside from the fact that we are not exactly rolling in good new limited overs keeper-batsmen and couldn't therefore find an adequate replacement at short notice, Dhoni has looked fitter and fresher since he gave up Test cricket. He has also, in a distinct departure from the recent past, looked keen to get stuck into situations tactically and work out ways to win with newer players. The Zimbabwe tour was a pretty light weight test but it definitely started there and its carried on into the current series against New Zealand. Most hearteningly, he has not been stubborn about his own waning skills as a batsman and has adjusted his position to where he can actually direct the course of matches for India again. And yes, there are days when Kohli and he will get out early, and an inexperienced middle order will fumble but unlike for a period in between, Dhoni seems willing to take that risk for the potential rewards it might bring. Whisper it, but maybe, just maybe Kohli's attacking attitude as a captain has something to do with it?

And it's not just the batting either. In the absence of his favoured bowlers (and to be fair India's best) in Ashwin, Shami, and Jadeja, Dhoni has showed much more faith in Yadav and Mishra than in the past. And they've responded to the confidence shown in them. They may not even be in the squad come the Champions Trophy but if they need to be, at least they will be prepared and Dhoni will know what he can get from them.

All this notwithstanding though, I suspect that after the Champions Trophy, Dhoni will pull the plug on himself like he did with Test cricket. Whether he then chooses to play on under Kohli will be the interesting question. I suspect that much like another modern day keeper-captain legend, he won't.

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