Kapil Dev believes Dhoni's fitness will be key, not his ability

Former Indian Captain, who led India to their first World Cup, Kapil Dev believes that quitting Test cricket will not help MSD’s position in the team as reported by NDTV Sports. But he also added that his fitness will determine how long he keeps going.

Dhoni will lead India in upcoming limited overs tour of Australia, having quit Test cricket on Boxing Day last year at the MCG. Dhoni has had an inconsistent run recently in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Kapil Dev believes, “He is a very sorted person. We can't read his mind, but I don’t think news stories will make an impact on Dhoni.”

Kapil added that it is difficult to be at the top of your game and motivate yourself when you are not playing a particular format and also believes that his fitness will be more crucial towards deciding how long he captains the country.

“When you stop playing Test cricket, it is very tough to carry on playing and keep your momentum going. Dhoni's fitness will key, he is not short on ability but when you stop playing one format, then it is very difficult to motivate yourself,” he said.

The speculation surrounding MS Dhoni’s retirement has gathered momentum, especially after Virat Kohli led India to a 3-0 win over South Africa after Dhoni lost both the T20 and ODI series against the Proteas.

Although BCCI cleared the air when they announced the squad for Australia by confirming that Dhoni will lead the side in the limited-overs until the World T20, it has only raised more questions than answers.

One of India’s most successful skippers, Sourav Ganguly had earlier suggested that India’s current limited-overs skipper still has plenty to offer, despite achieving almost everything there is to win in international cricket.

"Dhoni is a great cricketer and set standards at the international arena. He still has cricket left in him to represent India for some more years,” Ganguly said. "One will have to work hard and perform to reach the level of Dhoni, who has set standard in the cricket arena in the world.”