Dhoni gives up captaincy

MS Dhoni has resigned as India's captain in one-day internationals and Twenty20s, but will remain available for selection against England this month.

Dhoni took over as India captain in all formats in 2008, but relinquished his Test duties when he announcing his retirement from the longest format in November 2014.

He has led India in 199 ODIs, scoring 6633 runs at an average of 53.92 and will retire with a reputation as one of his country's greatest short-form players, having led them to World Cup glory on home soil in 2011.

Overall, Dhoni will enter the England series with 9110 ODI runs under his belt at 50.89.

NEWS ALERT - Mahendra Singh #Dhoni steps down as #Captain of #TeamIndia. He will be available for selection for ODIs & T20Is vs England pic.twitter.com/2xM0eisdjq

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 4, 2017

BCCI CEO Rahul Johri said: "On the behalf of every Indian cricket fan and the BCCI, I would like to thank MS Dhoni for his outstanding contribution as the captain of the Indian team across all formats.

"Under his leadership, Indian team has touched new heights and his achievements will remain etched forever in the annals of Indian cricket."

Dhoni - captain in more matches across all formats than any other player - has played all but one of his 73 T20 internationals as skipper, scoring 1112 runs at 37.06. He made an eight-ball duck in the only match he did not lead, India's very first T20I against South Africa in December 2006.

Virat Kohli has taken India to the top of the Test rankings in the aftermath of Dhoni's disappearance from red-ball action, and he will be well-fancied to take the reins in the white-ball arena.

A failure on home turf at the World Twenty20 last year may have set the wheels in motion for Dhoni stepping aside. Eventual champions West Indies knocked India out in the semi-finals of a tournament in which Kohli was named Player of the Series. 

If Kohli is indeed tasked with taking the team forward, he will hope to maintain form from the Test series against England, which India won 4-0 in dominant fashion.

 

Photo by AFP