Coach says MSD may play till 2019 ODI World Cup

New Delhi : Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s sudden decision to step down as the captain of limited-overs format has not surprised his childhood coach Chanchal Bhattacharya. For Bhattacharya, it was an “instinctive” decision which even Dhoni’s family members didn’t have a whiff of. The coach said this trait of Dhoni’s personality sets him apart from other cricketers. “We met on December 25 in Ranchi at my place and he jokingly told me that “isse pehle ki koi aap par goli chalaye, hume apne aap ko bachana chahiye (it’s better to save oneself before someone pulls a trigger on you). Though he didn’t elaborate on his point, I realised that something is cooking up. I did not ask him because he wouldn’t have shared his feelings. He goes by his own instinct. Even his family members did not know about his decision to quit. I spoke to them a few minutes back and they were surprised,” Bhattacharya told The Tribune over phone from Ranchi.
Was Dhoni’s decision influenced by his inability to finish off matches? He had been finding it difficult and shuffling across the batting order, promoting himself to No. 4 and 5 positions.
According to Bhattacharya, Dhoni’s decision could have been influenced by his desire to prolong his career, as a wicketkeeper-batsman, for the 2019 ODI World Cup, away from the captaincy’s burden.
“Dhoni must have felt that Kohli should get enough time to build the team for the World Cup, whereas he could contribute just as a senior player.” Bhattacharya added.