Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not quit, he was asked to resign as captain - Exclusive

Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not relinquish captaincy of India’s limited-overs teams but was nudged by the selectors into making the “bombshell announcement” – they told him his time at the helm was up, sources said.

The Indian cricket board announced on Wednesday that MS Dhoni, the double World Cup-winning skipper, had decided to step down as the captain of the one-day and Twenty20 sides but would continue playing.

However, sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told HT that Mahendra Singh Dhoni did not step down on his own. Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad had met the 35-year-old in Nagpur during last week’s Ranji Trophy semifinal between Jharkhand, Dhoni’s home state, and Gujarat.

MUST WATCH: Up close & personal with Captain @imVkohli - on @msdhoni, 2019 @cricketworldcup road map & more https://t.co/IJXlzvPkut #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/s4PY9eI3Rn

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 7, 2017

Once the board made the announcement, Prasad hailed Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decision. “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 told media.

Read | Mahendra Singh Dhoni saved me from India cricket team sack, reveals Virat Kohli

There are also reports that Mahendra Singh Dhoni offended a top BCCI official from Jharkhand for not playing Ranji Trophy. Consequently, Dhoni did not get any Board support.

Dhoni was considered a favourite of former BCCI president N. Srinivasan. Reportedly, Dhoni would have lost his Test captaincy after the rout in England in 2014. Former selector Mohinder Amarnath had wanted Mahendra Singh Dhoni to go, but Srinivasan saved the beleagured skipper. Subsequently, Amarnath lost his seat as a selector.

This time, the script changed. The process to hand over the captaincy to Test skipper Kohli was set in motion as early as September, the sources said.

The setting up of the new selection committee on September 21 was the starting point. The five-man panel brainstormed over the roadmap for Indian cricket, with the focus firmly on 2019 World Cup.

Thanks for always being the leader a youngster wants to have around him. You'll always be my captain @msdhoni Bhai 😊😊

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 6, 2017

It was explained to Dhoni – who would be almost 39 when the 50-over World Cup is held -- why Virat Kohli should take over, the sources said.

The matter was again discussed with Dhoni during the last week’s Ranji tie in Nagpur, where he was present as the mentor of Jharkhand.

After that things moved quickly. Mahendra Singh Dhoni conveyed his decision to quit as the limited-overs captain to the BCCI on January 4 before the announcement was made.

There has been pressure on Dhoni over his captaincy. While Virat Kohli’s standing has zoomed -- he has led India to five Test-series wins in a row -- the ODI side’s performance has been patchy.

In 2015, India lost to South Africa at home, were beaten 4-1 in Australia early last year, and then scraped past New Zealand 3-2 towards the year end.

Dhoni though led India to the semifinals of the 2015 World Cup, where they lost to co-hosts Australia, the eventual champions. India won seven and lost six ODIs last year.

Dhoni’s camp argued the ODI team wasn’t as dominating as the Test side because the selectors were focused entirely on the longer format.

Read | Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Controversial ex-Team India captain, the untold story

They picked a full-strength side for the Test series against New Zealand and England but rested main bowlers R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja for the ODIs against the Kiwis.

However, the Test side did consistently well despite injuries to several players.

Kohli, in his first interview after being named limited-overs captain, said: “It’s a win-win situation for the captain coming in to still have Dhoni for his advice, his inputs and his cricketing brain.

“But what I’m most happy about is that he’ll be able to play free cricket and express himself as the aggressive MS Dhoni we knew when he first came into the team. As a player, responsibility can take that away from you. I think it’s time he enjoys his cricket because he has taken so much burden for the country.”