Legendary spinner Anil Kumble says Virat Kohli more comfortable in MS Dhoni’s presence

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The ICC World Cup 2019 which starts from 30th May in England and Wales is less than two months away and excitement level amongst cricket fans around the world is high.

The Indian playing XI for the World Cup according to skipper Virat Kohli is fixed except for the wicketkeeper. Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni are possible players for the World Cup squad.

However many feel that MS Dhoni’s presence in the world cup is extremely necessary ahead of the world cup. Legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble said that Virat Kohli is more comfortable in MS Dhoni’s presence.

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 said in an interview to 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.

In the last ODI series against Australia, India won the first two matches when MS Dhoni was on the team and in the last three matches India ended up losing all the match and it ultimately cost them the ODI series and Dhoni didn’t play in the last three matches.

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 further said.

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