MS Dhoni was asked to step down as captain – newspaper report

01/09/2017

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MS Dhoni, who led India in a record 331 games in all formats, did not stand down as limited-overs captain by choice, but was asked to go. The selection committee has its eyes firmly set on the 2019 World Cup and wanted Virat Kohli at the helm for the global event, according to the Hindustan Times.

According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, the selection committee has brainstormed a roadmap to the 2019 World Cup, and they did not see 35-year-old Dhoni leading the team at that point in time.

Chief selector MSK Prasad met Dhoni during the Ranji Trophy semifinal between Jharkhand and Gujarat in Nagpur and discussed the future of Indian cricket.

It was then that Dhoni made his decision and Prasad praised him for his timing. “I salute him for his sense of perfect timing. He knew that Virat (Kohli) is now a proven customer who has done exceptionally well as a leader in Tests,” Prasad had told a news conference.

According to the paper, the decision to hand over limited-overs captaincy to Kohli, already the Test skipper, was set in motion in September when the new selection panel brainstormed the World Cup roadmap.

Subsquently, it was explained to Dhoni that it was necessary for Kohli to take over immediately to give himself enough time to build his team.

Dhoni finished with a record 331 games across formats as captain.