Calcutta: It is often said that in the post-Kapil Dev era, India have been missing a genuine allrounder. The selectors have tried out many options but the 1983 World Cup-winning captain’s void has been hard to fill.

But big hitting former New Zealand allrounder Craig McMillan begs to differ.

In India’s ICC World Twenty20-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India have “a genuine allrounder”, feels the 31-year-old who retired from international cricket after the Twenty20 meet.

“Dhoni’s a genuine allrounder who can bat and keep wickets… So what if he does not bat and bowl, we can still call him a genuine allrounder. Players like Kapil come once in a lifetime... But Dhoni seems to be relishing the challenge and is doing a very good job,” McMillan told The Telegraph in a city hotel on Saturday.

McMillan will represent the Calcutta Tigers in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL). He added: “In Yuvraj, Sachin and Sourav, India have good allrounders. Obviously they are quality batsmen but these are the guys who give you breakthroughs when the team need.”

Remembering his encounters with Sachin while bowing, he said: “We exchanged some good battles. I would surprise him with an odd bouncer or say something to break his concentration… So that he does something stupid.”

The 55-Test, 197-ODI and eight-Twenty20-old veteran said Eden is one of his favourite grounds, so not having played here disappoints him.

“I never played at the Eden… One of the three best venues... So it’s obviously a huge disappointment.”