I knew split captaincy does not work in India while stepping down as Test captain: MS Dhoni

New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday said that when he stepped down as the Test captain, he knew that the concept of split captaincy does not work in India.

Addressing his first conference after announcing his decision to pass the baton to Kohli, Dhoni said he was waiting for the right time to pass the baton to Kohli.

"I am somebody, who believes in our scenario, split captaincy is something that doesn't really work. And it's not something I had a view upon right now. It was something that I always believed in, that with the Indian team, one player leading the team in all formats is something that's very crucial," Dhoni said.

Dhoni also added that he wanted Kohli to become comfortable leading the team in five-day format before handing over the limited-overs captaincy to him. 

"When I stepped down as Test captain, I knew split captaincy doesn't work at least in India. I wanted Virat to ease things into Test format. With so many things, he is right there," Dhoni said.

While many believe Dhoni stepped down as captain earlier than expected, he said it was the right time and nothing would have changed had he decided to do so after ICC Champions Trophy 2017.