Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to quit Indian captaincy in the shorter versions of the game is a timely one.
The Indian Test team under Virat Kohli has been going from strength to strength, while the Men in Blue's form has been rather ordinary in the shorter formats of the game since the 2015 ICC World Cup. India suffered an ODI series defeat in Bangladesh and went down to South Africa in both the ODI and T20 series at home. The Men in Blue, who were strong favorites, bowed out of the ICC World T20 at the semifinal stage last year. The team reached thus far solely on the brilliance of Kohli.
MS Dhoni stuns cricket world again, steps down as Indian captain
The Indian team under Dhoni struggled in the past couple of years and looked jaded at times. Now with Dhoni calling it quits, Kohli will be at the helm in all three formats of the game for Team India. The short series against England will be the perfect occasion for Kohli to take over the reins of the team in the limited overs versions ahead of more challenging assignments such as the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June.
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Dhoni's decision to continue as a wicketkeeper-batsman is a welcome news. Even at 35, Dhoni is one of the fittest cricketers around and can still hold his own both as a wicketkeeper and a batsman. True, he struggles to produce the big shots right from the word go unlike in his heyday, but the ability to rotate the strike and sprint across the wickets means MSD remains a valuable member of the side. He played at the crucial No. 4 position in the series against New Zealand and Kohli is likely to let him bat in that vital slot. Behind the wickets, the man from Ranchi continues to be a safe bet, with his lightning stumpings and safe catching.
Dhoni has done India proud with his leadership, especially in the limited overs formats. He led the country to triumphs in the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007, ICC World Cup at home in 2011 and the 2013 Champions Trophy in England. He brought a sense of calmness to the India team and instilled tremendous self belief among his players. Under MSD, the Men in Blue became a big tournament team and that remains his biggest achievement. One hopes MSD will continue to entertain us with his cavalier approach to the game in what is the fag end of a truly magnificent career.