India coach Ravi Shastri considers former India captain and current wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an asset to the side led by Virat Kohli. Shastri said that Dhoni still remains the best wicketkeeper in the world.

Coach Ravi Shastri

Calling him an elder statesman in the dressing room, Shastri said in an interview to India Today, “Dhoni is still the best wicketkeeper in the world and he is the quickest. The break from Test cricket has been great for Dhoni. He is an asset to the Indian team. He is an elder statesman in the dressing room.”

Shastri added that the team’s priority was Test cricket which is why they needed to rest Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. “We can’t play Ashwin and Jadeja all the time. There is enough time for Ashwin to get back into the team because the World Cup is still two years away. Emphasis has to be on Test cricket,” he added.

On the recent Sri Lanka tour that ended in a whitewash, Shastri said, “I think the boys were great. Their work ethic and hunger showed that right through the tour. When you’re on a roll, you need to keep repeating performances. All in all, you couldn’t single out one person from the tour.”

On coach-captain relationship, Shastri said, “They all knew what the dressing room was like and what I was like. One or two new players might have come in. It was an advantage to have been there not so long back. The entire supporting staff was picked by me.