If there was ever any doubt about how much India skipper Virat Kohli values the acumen of his predecessor MS Dhoni, BCCI’s Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai removed them on Sunday.

According to the CoA chief, Dhoni remains indispensable in India’s limited-overs setup and will continue to do so for some time.

“Their camaraderie is exceptional with so much mutual respect. Virat respects Dhoni’s cricketing acumen and Dhoni respects what Virat is achieving as a player,” Rai was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India on Sunday.

Dhoni has been a constant in India’s limited-overs setup after retiring from Tests in 2014. Lately though, questions have been asked about his waning batting power with a few voices advocating finding a replacement.

However, according to Rai, Dhoni’s spot in the team is safe.

“In fact, Virat has told the CoA why he thinks Dhoni is irreplaceable in the limited overs set up as of now,” Rai said.

“Virat feels that there are no faster pair of gloves than MS Dhoni today. Also, Dhoni’s cricketing mind honed over so many years is an asset for Virat. As far as how many years of cricket is left in him, time and his performance will tell,” he added.

Both players are currently resting following India’s highly successful tour of South Africa. The Indian team is currently participating in the Nidahas T20I tri-series in Sri Lanka.