T20 WC 2021 | Dhoni’s experience and ability to handle pressure will help the youngsters, reckons Gautam Gambhir

As India announced their 15-member T20 WC squad on Wednesday, it was also stated that MS Dhoni has been appointed as a mentor for the marquee event. The cricket world expressed their views and lauded the decision while sharing their thoughts on the same.

Gautam Gambhir was the latest among the lot to share his thoughts regarding the former India skipper. Gambhir explained how Dhoni’s experience will come in handy during crunch situations and that the youngsters would hugely benefit from his mentorship.

"So probably MS' Dhoni's experience of captaining this side and handling that pressure in those important games could be a huge advantage for young players. And you have to remember that most of these guys are young, for example, your Rahul Chahar and Varun Chakravarthy or any of these batters play - they've not been to any of the World Cups. So, I'm sure MS will share his experience," Gambhir said on Star Sports' show 'Follow The Blues'.

"Had India struggled in T20 cricket, they might have had to get someone from outside, but Dhoni's experience and his mindset of handling pressure in those crunched games could be one reason why they've got him as a mentor - not purely from the skill point of view, because these guys have got all the skill, to go out there and deliver. It's probably, how to handle pressure during those important games because India had missed out on those important games -- especially the knockout games."

The former India opener also went on to state how the India team already had a lot of depth in the support staff and that Dhoni’s role was to influence the youngsters with his experience.

"A good story to have, but I'm sure his (MS Dhoni) role will be defined because you've got the head coach, the assistant coach and the bowling coach. So, I'm sure there has to be something from Virat Kohli or Ravi Shastri on what they would want apart from what they already have because India has been very successful in T20 Cricket. It's not like India has struggled in T20 Cricket," he explained.

"That probably is the only thing I can think of; apart from that, I don't see MS Dhoni change anything from a skill point of view. Ravi Shastri's been there, Vikram Rathour has been there, and the entire support staff is there. So, probably MS can only add his experience to the players while probably going into the crunch games."

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to start on Sunday, October 17th, in the UAE and Oman.