T20 World Cup 2021: Kohli delighted to have Dhoni as mentor, says his presence will increase team’s confidence

Dhoni led CSK to the IPL 2021 title win on October 15.

By Salman Anjum - 16 Oct, 2021

India skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday (October 16) expressed his delight on having the legendary MS Dhoni in the dressing room as a mentor for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

According to Kohli, Dhoni’s "eye for intricate details" and "practical advice" will help in enhancing the confidence of the squad in the showpiece tournament.

See Also: Jay Shah, Sourav Ganguly reveal MS Dhoni won’t charge for his role as Team India’s mentor

"He has got massive experience. He is quite excited himself. He has always been a mentor for all of us. Younger guys who are playing their first major tournaments at early stages of career will benefit," Kohli said during a pre-tournament media interaction organised by the ICC.

"His eye for intricate details and practical advice will help improve the game by one or two percent. Absolutely delighted to have him...(His) presence will not only boost morale but also increase confidence that we already have," he added.

While announcing the squad last month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said that the decision to make Dhoni the mentor was taken after he met the latter in Dubai before the start of the second leg of IPL 2021.

Notably, Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to the IPL 2021 title win with a comprehensive 27-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Dubai on Friday (October 15).

For the T20 World Cup, Team India are slotted in Group 2 along with Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, and the two qualifiers from Round 1. The Men in Blue will start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24 in Dubai.

Subsequently, India will play their group-stage match against New Zealand and Afghanistan on October 31 and November 3 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively while their games against the two qualifiers will be held in Dubai on November 5 and November 8.

(With PTI inputs)

By Salman Anjum - 16 Oct, 2021

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