Will Dhoni play in T20 World Cup 2020? Former Indian captain has clear message for Indian selectors

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble has asked the Indian selectors to sit down and speak with Mahendra Singh Dhoni over his future and take decisions which will benefit the Indian team. Kumble has cited the T20 World Cup and believes the selectors need to identify players and options soon for the event.

"I think the selectors will have a take a call as to which is the likely team that you'd want in the World Cup because the World Cup is just a year away," Kumble told CricketNext. "You'd want a consistent team to be playing right throughout and that's exactly what didn't happen in the 50-over competition," he further added.

Dhoni needs a proper send-off

However, he was also quick to add that Dhoni deserved a proper send-off and for this, proper channels of communication need to be established. If the selectors do indeed see the seasoned campaigner in their scheme of things, they have to make sure Dhoni plays in every single match.

"If the selectors believe that Dhoni is in the scheme of things for the T20 World Cup then I think he should be playing every game. If he's not, then it's important that they have a discussion around how they need to make this happen. Like I mentioned, he certainly deserves a proper send-off, whenever that happens but the communication needs to be come from the selectors," Kumb;e said.

After the World Cup, chief selector MSK Prasad had identified Rishabh Pant as the primary wicket-keeper for India across all the three formats. But in the West Indies tour, the young man was not very consistent.

"Pant has also shown some inconsistency. So, that's a call the selectors need to make. Today, in spite of all of that, are you going to back him or someone else, or would you look back? I wouldn't but I think it's important that the selectors take a call on that," said the former leg-spinner.

The ball is firmly in the court of the Indian selectors and they have to make the decisions. As Kumble suggested, there needs to be a plan and a road map to make this transition. With Dhoni not being in the T20 squad which will face South Africa in the upcoming home series, there is certainly no clarity over what is brewing in Indian cricket.