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India captain stands down

MS Dhoni has given up the captaincy of India's national ODI and T20 teams

MS Dhoni has stood down as India’s limited-overs captain effective immediately but is available for selection in the upcoming ODI and T20I series against England.

Test skipper Virat Kohli is the likely choice to replace Dhoni and captain India in all three formats.

Following India’s elimination from the World T20 in Mumbai in March last year, Dhoni said he was determined to play on until the 2019 World Cup in England.

MS Dhoni talks retirement with the author of this article, Sam Ferris

 

However, he perhaps now has only a handful of games left for India as his stellar international career draws closer to an end.

The 35-year-old has played 283 one-day internationals and 73 T20 internationals for India since debuting against Bangladesh in Chittagong in December 2004.

Dhoni is perhaps India’s greatest ever captain having guided the country to the 2007 ICC World T20 title in South Africa before leading India to their second 50-over World Cup crown on home soil in 2011.

The swashbuckling right-handed batsman sits third on the list of the most prolific wicketkeeper-batsman behind Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara (13,334 runs) and Adam Gilchrist (9,410) of Australia with 9,110 runs at an incredible average of 50.89 and nine centuries.

Lightning behind the stumps, Dhoni holds the record for most dismissals (353) by an Indian in ODI cricket ahead of former teammate Rahul Dravid (210).

MS Dhoni the captain, in his own words

Dhoni is the most capped international captain ever having lead India on 331 in all formats, and his 178 international wins puts him behind only Australia’s Ricky Ponting (220 wins) as the most successful captain of all time.

"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," said Board of Control for Cricket in India chief executive Rahul Johri.

MS Dhoni's famous 112-metre six against Australia