Was MS Dhoni FORCED to give up captaincy of Men in Blue?

In a sensational turn of events, Mahendra Singh Dhoni' s decision to let go of Team India's limited overs captaincy might not have been out of his own will. It was, in fact, due to the MSK Prasad-led senior selection committee's vision for the 2019 World Cup.

According to Hindustan Times, the process to hand over the reigns of the Men in Blue from Dhoni to Virat Kohli started in September 21, 2016, itself, when the new selection committee was formed. The wise men of cricket concluded that MSD would be almost 39 during the next ODI World Cup and so it made sense for Kohli to take over without further delay. Prasad, who was seen chatting with Dhoni during Jharkhand's Ranji Trophy semi-final clash with Gujarat in Nagpur last week, reportedly conveyed his thoughts to the two-time World Cup winning captain at that time.

It didn't take much time then for 35-year-old Dhoni to convey his decision to the Board of Control for Cricket in India who then made it public on January 4. "I salute him for his sense of perfect timing. He knew that Virat (Kohli) is now a proven customer who has done exceptionally well as a leader in Tests," Prasad had said.

India haven't had great success in the limited overs for over a year or so, with the Men in Blue failing to dominate oven at home. On the other hand, Kohli's Test side have had an exceptional run, winning five Test series in a row. With an eye on 2019, perhaps the selectors thought it was the right time for Kohli to also make the one-day and Twenty20 sides his own, which would also enable Dhoni to play more freely in his twilight years.