Ahead of Ind vs SA 1st T20 clash, the Indian skipper on Saturday showered praise on Dhoni, saying there is no replacement for experience for the 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman who has, on many instances, shown that age is just a number.
"Experience is always going to matter whether you like it or not. Many players have proven in the past that age is just a number and even Dhoni has done that a lot in his career," Kohli told reporters on the eve of the first T20I.
"One thing great about him is that he thinks for Indian cricket. When to stop playing cricket, is completely an individual decision. No one should give opinions regarding the matter," he added.
Voices have grown in the cricket fraternity for Dhoni's retirement following the World Cup where he was criticised heavily for his slow batting.
Recently, BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad too quashed the rumors regarding Dhoni’s retirement, saying that such stories were untrue and that the board was not aware about such news.
Talking about the upcoming series, Kohli said the team management wants to give opportunities to guys who have been performing well in the domestic circuit with a roadmap to build the team for next year's World T20.
"We wanted to give opportunities to players who have done well for the past two years in the domestic circuit and T20 cricket in the IPL. It is about finding the best possible balance we can for the side and not necessarily stick to one particular type of balance. If other teams can bat till number nine, so why cannot we? Whatever decisions are made, they are made looking at the future," Kohli added.
"The first two to three T20I series will help us assess every situation. Definitely the roadmap for T20 World Cup in 2020 is on our mind. It is an exciting prospect looking at the new bunch of guys in our lineup," he added.