Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Captain Cool as ever on the day he quit as Indian cricket team skipper

On January 4, the day the news came out about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retirement as Indian cricket team’s ODI and T20 captain, he was with his Jharkhand teammates, who were playing the Ranji Trophy semfinal against Gujarat in Nagpur. Captain Cool was so relaxed--he even played a round of video game with the juniors--that no one got any clue about the important decision. (HT Photo)

Updated on: Jan 07, 2017 3:43 PM IST

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Updated on Jan 07, 2017 3:43 PM

On January 4, the day the news came out about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retirement as Indian cricket team’s ODI and T20 captain, he was with his Jharkhand teammates, who were playing the Ranji Trophy semfinal against Gujarat in Nagpur. Captain Cool was so relaxed--he even played a round of video game with the juniors--that no one got any clue about the important decision. (HT Photo)

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Updated on Jan 07, 2017 3:43 PM

Mahendra Singh Dhoni had an extended nets session and gave tips to his Jharkhand teammates at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on January 3, a day before the news came out of his retirement as Indian cricket team’s ODI and T20 captain. Jharkhand were playing their Ranji trophy semifinal against Gujarat in Nagpur. (PTI)

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni had chats with the junior players as well as Jharkhand officials, trying to understand the facilities available for the players from his state during the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Gujarat at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. (PTI)

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While training during the Jharkhand net sessions at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur (even on the day of the news broke about his retirement from captaincy) Mahendra Singh Dhoni was focused on improving his game, getting himself ready for the England series, one felt. But little did anyone know that he would be featuring in the upcoming series for India as a wicket-keeper batsman and not as skipper. (PTI)

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Apart from long batting sessions, Mahendra Singh Dhoni also gave some wicket-keeping tips to India Under-19 and Jharkhand ’keeper Ishan Kishan, sharing some drills as well. (PTI)

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Updated on Jan 07, 2017 3:43 PM

This was perhaps when Mahendra Singh Dhoni expressed his intention to retire as India ODI and T20 captain. Dhoni and the BCCI selection committee chairman MSK Prasad had a long chat at the sidelines of the Ranji Trophy semifinal between Jharkhand and Gujarat at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on January 4. That evening, the BCCI sent out a release, announcing the news. (PTI)