Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been hailed as the most successful captain in the history of Indian cricket. A deluge of tributes followed his decision to step down as captain of the Indian side in the One-Day International and T20 formats of the game.
But it has now emerged that Dhoni was asked to step down to make way for Virat Kohli.
Hindustan Times reports that chairman of the selection committee, MSK Prasad met the 35-year-old former skipper at least twice during the Ranji Trophy season.
The report claims a top BCCI official from Dhoni’s home state Jharkhand was offended by thewicketkeeper-batsman’s no show at the Ranji Trophy-India’s domestic interstate cricket tournament, further thinning out BCCI support for him.
The report claims the process for the change of guard was set in motion with setting up of a new selection committee in September last year, with a focus in the world cup 2019.
Dhoni was reportedly told that he would be 39 at the time of the next ICC World Cup. There was another meeting between the board officials and Dhoni during a Ranji Trophy match of Jharkhand before he finally agreed to step down.
The BCCI issued a statement on Wednesday announcing Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain of ODI and T20 sides. The statement said he would be available for selection as a player.
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Dhoni steps down as ODI, T20 skipper
