Calcutta/Dharamsala: Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he has started taking Virat Kohli's advice more often than not on the field.

Speaking on the eve of the first one-dayer at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, Dhoni said: "I have already started taking more advice from Virat. If you witness a match, you will see I have more interactions with him on the field because two individuals will of course conduct in different ways."

Speaking of his own role in the side, Dhoni said it hasn't changed much but for the additional responsibility of mentoring the coming generation of Indian cricket. According to Dhoni, he has evolved as a cricketer since making his debut back in 2004.

"Your role doesn't change when you are a senior member of the squad irrespective of whether you are captain or vice-captain. You have an extra bit of responsibility on you. You have to talk to the youngsters, you have to guide them," Dhoni said.

"A lot of things have changed since I made my debut in 2004. The way cricket is played has changed. The kind of players that are coming into the Indian team are drastically different than what we were used to.

"My role is quite the same. You only evolve with time and that's what I am trying to do, evolve with time," the talismanic wicketkeeper-batsman said.

Dhoni also talked about identifying future talents, which also includes finding another finisher in the side like himself. He said it's difficult to find players to slot into a finisher's role.

Dhoni added that the nature of cricket in the subcontinent meant lower-order batsmen had few opportunities to get used to the pressure of finishing games.

"You talk about (Jos) Buttler and (Glenn) Maxwell. But you have to see consistent performances. Finishing is one of the most difficult things to do in cricket. It's not about six months or one year.

"You have to be used to that role and responsibility, and you need to have that self-confidence to keep on doing what is required of you, usually over a period. Once you find a good finisher, they are the ones that will keep batting at that slot for eight to 10 years.

"I think one of the biggest challenge is that considering the cricket we play in the subcontinent, more often than not, a finisher is someone who bats at No. 5, 6 or 7 or to some extent, maybe at No. 4. A lot of times in India, the lower order doesn't get a chance to bat.

"As far as identifying individuals who can be finishers is concerned, we have identified a few but I would like to keep the names to ourselves, the reason being not to put undue pressure on any individual," Dhoni elaborated.

India have rested a few senior cricketers like Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja for the current ODI series against New Zealand, keeping in mind the long season ahead. And Dhoni backed the national selectors' decision, saying it was necessary to keep the players fresh and also test the team's bench strength.

"At times, you need to look at future schedules. We are playing 13 Test matches this season, followed by the IPL and the Champions Trophy. As such there is no big break in the middle.

"So I think it's a good decision. At times you have look at the long-term things. We also get an opportunity to test other players and see the bench strength.

"We are just playing eight ODIs this season. So, whatever plans we have, we can check them in these matches."

Admitting that the perfect combination of players had to be identified in a short span of time, Dhoni said it was also necessary to look at new talent as well as rest at least some of the key players.

"Quite a few of them would have gone to Zimbabwe. All of a sudden, 14 or 15 were there and then a few injuries here and there... It's not a realistic number but at the same time, there are a few individuals who we are very keen to see what they have on offer.

"With the Indian team, it's difficult to give chances. Let's be fair about it because we have to win games while we also have to look at the process," the skipper said.

At the end of the day, it's execution that counts, Dhoni iterated. "You can manage the individuals, but at the end of the day and at the right moment, it's they who have to execute. That's where the crucial point is.

"If you see [Jasprit] Bumrah, he has done really well for us in whatever games he's played. He's become like a banker especially when it comes to death bowling."