Mahendra Singh Dhoni steps down as captain of Indian ODI, T20I teams

The 35-year-old, however, said that he "will be available for selection for ODIs & T20Is vs England".

New Delhi: Clearing the way for the anointment of Virat Kohli as the Indian captain in all three formats, Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday stepped down as the skipper of both the ODI and T20I sides.

The 35-year-old will, however, be available for the selection for the second leg of England series. He has reportedly conveyed the decision to the the national selection committee today.

Confirming the development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a tweet:

NEWS ALERT - Mahendra Singh #Dhoni steps down as #Captain of #TeamIndia. He will be available for selection for ODIs & T20Is vs England pic.twitter.com/2xM0eisdjq — BCCI (@BCCI) January 4, 2017

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni has informed the BCCI, that he wishes to step down as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team from the One Day Internationals and the T20 Internationals formats of the game," BCCI said in a release.

Mr Rahul Johri, Chief Executive Officer of the BCCI said, "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."

Dhoni made his international debut in 2004, and established himself as one of the most successful Indian captains.

He won the first edition of ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, then helped India break nearly three-decade long 50-overs World Cup curse in 2011.

And in 2013, he became the first ever captain to hold all three ICC-sanctioned trophies simultaneously by capturing the Champions Trophy in 2013.

He led a national side for the time last last year, against New Zealand, which India won 3-2.

In similar circumstances, he  had given up the Test captaincy in December 2014. However, he remained as ODI and T20I captain after having taken on those roles in 2007.

With the arrival of Kohli as an alternative leader, especially considering how the Test captain has helped the team win series after series, many have started questioning the veracity of Dhoni's continuance as captain.

The MSK Prasad-led Indian selectors are expected to meet on Friday in Mumbai to select the squads for the England series.

And Kohli is likely to be appointed as the captain of all three formats during the meet.