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Now talk of Virat replacing Dhoni as ODI skipper for South Africa series

IF SOURCES ARE to be believed, India’s current ODI captain MS Dhoni might make way for Test skipper Virat Kohli, who may lead the ODI team in the series against South Africa.

Though there isn’t any official confirmation on the same, the BCCI is likely to meet in New Delhi on September 15 to pick India’s ODI and T20I squads against the Proteas. Post Dhoni’s exit from Test cricket, the selectors picked Kohli to lead the team in whites. The move paid off as India registered a Test series win against Sri Lanka, ending a 22-year long wait.

It is understood that selectors are in favour of the Delhi cricketer to lead the ODI team, with Dhoni as a player going forward. This will be a step towards ensuring that the team isn’t affected by two different captaincy styles in the long run. Dhoni, though, may continue to captain India in T20s.

A source with first-hand information told The New Indian Express on Tuesday, “Even in the previous selection meeting there were talks about Kohli being named captain for all formats. But it is also worth keeping in mind that Dhoni is the most successful India captain ever and Kohli is just finding his feet as far as captaincy goes. With India set to play mainly at home next year, it will only be an advantage for Kohli to take over the reins now rather than in an away series. Dhoni might continue to lead in T20s though.”

While there isn’t any doubt about Dhoni’s form with the bat, captaincy across all formats for eight long years may have definitely put pressure on him.  

“Everybody has a sell-buy date and it applies to captains as well. Dhoni is at the twilight of his career and there is no certainty whether he will continue after the World T20. So if a change of hands happens, it could well begin with South Africa series,” the source added.

South Africa will be in India on a 72-day tour, and they will be playing 3 T20Is, 5 ODIs and 4 Tests, starting October 2.


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