Revealed: Why MS Dhoni's place in ODI, T20I teams is safe even if Virat Kohli takes over captaincy

New Delhi: There is a perception in some quarters of Indian cricket circles that MS Dhoni is past his prime.

The limited-overs skipper didn't perform on expected lines in the one outing he had against West Indies in the recently concluded T20I series.

Some feel the right-hander has lost his ability to explode in the final overs of the match.

As such, several questions have been raised against his place in India's ODI and T20I teams.

With a new selection committee in place, it remains to be seen what role it sees Dhoni playing in the future.

However, if opinion of Saba Karim, a member of the previous panel, is anything to go by, then Mahi's place is not under threat at least till the 2019 World Cup.

According to Karim, who is a former wicketkeeper himself, there are no options to replace the maverick skipper.

Even if Virat Kohli takes charge of India's limited-overs skipper, Dhoni is likely to hold his place in the side as a wicketkeeper-batsman.

"I don’t know why and how this perception has come up that Dhoni can’t be a part of the team if he doesn’t have his captaincy. His fitness levels have certainly gone up. However, it’s up to the present selectors now to decide if they want him in their scheme of things looking at the World Cup in 2019. The current selectors need to have a vision," Karim told cricbuzz.

"There is a problem with the resources, especially in wicketkeeping Wriddhiman Saha is just growing into his job in Tests. But in limited-overs, Rahul looks good to don the gloves. His glove work has potential but a lot of work has to be done with wicketkeepers. At the moment, Dhoni is doing pretty well," he further added.

Dhoni will next be in action in the ODI series against New Zealand.