It is right time for Virat Kohli to come in as captain: Ian Chappell

Virat Kohli (L) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a net session

Following India’s drawn Test against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, former Australian captain Ian Chappell has said that MS Dhoni needs to leave the captaincy post, as he thinks that it is the ideal time for Virat Kohli, the Indian captain’s deputy, to step into his shoes.

"I think it time for Dhoni to go and may be it is right time for Kohli to come in as captain,” the 70-year-old said.

"I don't think captaincy would affect Kohli adversely because he is a very strong character and is a confident cricketer. So he can work out [things] as a captain. At 27, you have got four to five years for a player to peak, and it is crucial to give the guy the captaincy. No good giving him captaincy at the age 32 to 33, when he is started to go over the top. You got to give him his best chance," Chappell, regarded as one of the world’s finest cricket captains, added.

Takes a dig at the Indian selectors:

Chappell has always made it clear that he has never been a fan of Dhoni’s reserved style of captaincy, and he stressed the same, yet again. He also took the dig at the mentality of the Indian selectors who, according to him, do not have the nerve to sack the 33-year-old.

Chappell, who has represented Australia in 91 international matches, said: "Certainly, he [Dhoni] is not a Test captain. I think he is a good captain in shorter-version of the game. I don't think there would be a problem to give it Kohli now, though.

"Indian selectors do not have the ruthless quality as Australian selectors have. They wait for the guy to retire. I mean after he [Dhoni] lost 4-0 to England and Australia, if he would have been an Australian captain he would have gone. He did nothing to inspire the team.”

"You can always lose, that is fine, but you go down fighting. I did not find him do that. To me the captain has lost his usefulness and it is time for him to go, “ added Chappell, who has over 6000 international runs to his name.

India’s woeful record outside home:

India, after the Trent Bridge Test, are on a 15-match winless-streak in the longer format of the game on foreign soil. Dhoni’s men last won an away Test, against West Indies, Kingston, 2011. Since then, the team has drawn one against West Indies, lost 4-0 (4) to both England and Australia, and 1-0 (2) to South Africa and New Zealand.

Commenting on the first Test at Nottingham in which India failed to get the elusive win despite dominating a better part of the Test, Chappell said: "The selection was wrong. If you don't get selections right it is pretty hard to win. How can you leave (Ravichandran) Ashwin? Why did they pick (Stuart) Binny? Binny is not a bowler and he bats at number eight. Ashwin also can bat and far better bowler. Ashwin is far better bowler than (Ravindra) Jadeja as well. So they have to sort that out."

"Lords is not that good for spinners. So, I will drop Jadeja and Binny, and play Rohit Sharma and Ashwin. That will be far better balanced side," Chappell suggested.