'MS can almost sit on the side as a mentor, ' AB de Villiers gives his blunt take on Dhoni's future

Former South African star AB de Villiers has suggested that MS Dhoni should sit on the side and mentor the players if he cannot bat above number 6. The former RCB star further added that Dhoni has a lot to offer with the bat, but must bat at a higher number instead of batting at number eight or nine.

"I feel that in the last few years, his role has purely been about keeping that brand as strong as possible. That's why I don't see a role for him batting at eight or nine and not really doing enough, like last season. We know he can be impactful with the bat, but if he's batting that low and not captaining, it feels like he's almost just making up for a spot for the wrong reasons. There's still a place for him, but he needs to bat higher, at least at six, maybe even at five or four at times." AB de Villiers said.

De Villers futher suggested that Dhoni should step aside if he comes to bat below number 6. He added that Dhoni's experience of handling the pressure will be huge for the young CSK team.

"My only issue is where MS fits in and if he's not going to have that big impact batting at 4, 5, 6 sometimes, then rather be out of the squad. Let someone else, who can maybe bowl and bat and have a bigger impact in the game, come in there, and then MS can almost sit on the side as a mentor and still guide the guys," De Villiers added.

De Villiers feels Sanju Samson is the right player for CSK