'MS Dhoni gave up captaincy as he feels it is Virat Kohli's time to lead India'

New Delhi, Jan 5: Mahendra Singh Dhoni sprang up another surprise with his sudden decision to quit as the captain of India's ODI and T20I skipper on Wednesday (Jan 4).

Dhoni quits as limited overs captain; Twitterati shocked

The 35-year-old Rachi wicketkeeper-batsman, however, will continue to give his services as a player.

Dhoni stepping down as the captain means India's Test skipper Virat Kohli will now lead Men In Blue with immediate effect. Kohli will lead the Indian side against England in the limited overs series starting January 15.

Captain Cool's unpredictable move has caught everyone off guard. Cricketing fraternity as well as fans are getting nostalgic about Dhoni's leadership skills and his legacy.

Some are calling the move as a just one while others seemed unhappy with the surprise decision.

(Sachin Tendulkar speaks on MS Dhoni's decision to quit captaincy)

As per a report published in Times of India, a source close to the cricketer was quoted as saying, "It is very clear that the team that's representing India right now is Virat Kohli's team. They all have immense respect for MS. But one cannot ignore this is Virat's team."

As per a report published in the news daily, former India selector Kris Srikkanth said he was surprised with Dhoni's decision.

As per the former India captain, he was not expecting it.

"Frankly speaking I wasn't expecting this to happen so suddenly and it's even more surprising because he took the decision just before the home series against England," Srikanth was quoted as saying.

The 35-year-old had already retired from Test cricket in December 2014 but continued to lead the Men in Blue in the shorter formats of the game. Kohli took over the team's reign after Dhoni stepped down as the skipper.

Voices were growing that Dhoni should give up limited overs captaincy so that Kohli gets time to develop his leadership skills before World Cup 2019.

Dhoni, who had led India to the International Cricket Council (ICC) World T20 title in 2007, to the World Cup victory in 2011 and lifted the Champions Trophy in 2013 also took India to the zenith of the Test rankings during his tenure.

OneIndia News