Childhood coach says Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have quit over IPL row

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's childhood coach, Chanchal Bhattacharya, has said that his ward quit Test cricket because of the IPL spot-fixing controversy.

"Every Indian captain has had a poor overseas record. So, it's wrong to presume that Dhoni quit because of his win-loss record abroad. I feel his decision could be based on his desire to defend the upcoming World Cup and channelise all his energies towards that," Bhattacharya told dna.

However, Bhattacharya was quick to admit that Dhoni was not happy with the kind of rumours floating in cricketing circles. "I strongly feel that his name was unnecessarily dragged in the spot-fixing controversy. He was certainly upset about it. He has given everything to the game. But even after that, people are pointing fingers at him. He is very hurt," said the 51-year-old coach, adding, "Being his childhood coach, I can assure you that he will come out clean."

Why, then, did Dhoni quit in the middle of the series? "Had he been guilty of any wrongdoing, he would have quit all forms of the game. Why would he only retire from Tests?" asked Bhattacharya. "There's something amiss... Wait and watch. I haven't spoken to Dhoni. But I'm going to ask him about it once he comes back to India," said the coach.

Bhattacharya, however, admitted that Dhoni was mulling over his Test future. "If you remember, Dhoni had hinted in a television interview that he would retire from Tests. I did talk to him before the Australia series, but never got any hint that he would retire like this. It was surprising. But I am happy that the decision has come at the right time," he said.

Bhattacharya is happy that Dhoni helped India salvage a draw in Melbourne. "He left the game on a high. I want him to continue playing ODI and T20 cricket. There is lot of cricket left in him," he added.