MS Dhoni gave Virat Kohli a New Year's gift: ex-captain's childhood coach

Ranchi/ Kolkata: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stepped down as the captain of the limited overs side at exactly the right moment, believes the wicketkeeper-batsman’s childhood coach Chanchal Bhattacharya.

Dhoni announced his decision to relinquish his captaincy, on Wednesday night, sending shockwaves around the world of cricket. The 35-year-old, however, will be available for selection for the three ODIs and three T20Is against England.

“He (Dhoni) took appropriate decision at appropriate time,” Bhattacharya told ANI. “He gave Virat Kohli the New Year's gift.”

Bhattacharya also said that Dhoni took this step because he wanted to continue playing cricket without having to feel the pressure of being in the hotseat, after serving as the captain of Team India for almost a decade.

“Dhoni wants to play freely and that is the reason behind his decision,” Bhattacharya was quoted as saying to regional news portal Pradesh18.

However, Dhoni is still keen to keep himself fit for limited overs international cricket, despite stepping down from the leadership role, believes Bhattacharya. Dhoni had in fact spent quite some time in training with the Jharkhand side, which lost to Gujarat in the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy, on Wednesday.

“Not only did he practice a lot with the Jharkhand team, he has also been spending a lot of time in the gym to keep fighting fit for the rigours of international cricket,” said Bhattacharya.

In fact, Bhattacharya feels that Dhoni can go on to play till the 2019 World Cup, if he keeps on going at the current rate.

“If he doesn’t get injured and continues to play the way he is doing, Dhoni can represent India in the 2019 ICC World Cup in England,” said Bhattacharya.