MS Dhoni is the greatest servant of game and I hope he wins this World Cup, says Kapil Dev

MS Dhoni has captained the Indian ODI side for 200 matches, and including all the formats, he has captained India in 332 games. The wicket-keeper batsman has all the major ICC trophies in his cabinet, the T20 World Cup, the ODI World Cup as well as the Champions Trophy. Coming in lower down the order, he has scored 10,500 runs in one-dayers and has remained not out 82 times in 341 matches.

In addition to that, his excellent glove work and game reading skills made him a cult figure among the Indians. The 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, who has scored 9031 runs and has taken 687 wickets in international cricket, has implied that Dhoni is above criticism and even hoped he wins the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales.

"I don't have to say anything about Dhoni. I think he has served the country very well and we must respect him. No one knows how long he wants to play and how long his body can continue to take the workload. But, there is no other cricketer who has served the country so well as Dhoni. We should respect him and wish him good luck. I hope that he wins this World Cup too," said the legendary all-rounder, reported IANS.

Virat Kohli, who permanently took over as the captain in 2015, has won an astounding 49 out of 68 ODIs. Kapil has stated that despite the fantastic records and number two ranking, the Kohli-led team will have to fight it out to win the ten-nation tournament.

"This Indian team looks very good. However, it won't be very easy. They have to play like a team. I hope that they will have no injuries. If they have a stroke of luck, they will definitely win," the 60-year-old asserted.

The selectors had announced the team on April 15, and there have been mixed reactions over the choice Dinesh Karthik as the second wicket-keeper. Many expected the 21-year-old Rishabh Pant to take up the role, but the selectors have opted for the 33-year-old’s experience. The former India captain did not mind the selection and maintained that the selectors’ decision should be respected.

"The selectors have done their job. Let's respect the team. They have picked Karthik over Pant, then it's alright. We should just believe that the selectors have done a good job,” he signed off.