Mohammad Azharuddin feels MS Dhoni should give up captaincy only on his own terms

Mohammad Azharuddin feels India's limited-overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni should be made to give up his captaincy on his own terms as he has been one of the most successful skippers ever. Dhoni had earlier expressed that he would not mind leading the team till 2019, but there have been talks that the time has come for the captain to pass the baton to Virat Kohli.

Earlier, Sourav Ganguly had told that he would be surprised if Dhoni continues to captain the team till the 2019 World Cup, and the two former Indian captains seem to be having contrasting opinions.

"It is Ganguly's opinion. This should be Dhoni's personal decision and we should respect it. All depends on how he feels and sees future. We should give him a chance considering he has been one of finest captains ever. He has won all major tournaments and got India to No. 1 position in all formats of the game," Azharuddin said.

He also added that Dhoni might be going through one of his bad phases. "Don't forget his performances. Sometimes it gets very hard. People go through ups and downs. He may not been in fine form, but he has been a pillar of strength to players who played under him."

The Hyderabad-born batsman, however, seemed to share similar views with Ganguly on Kohli being Dhoni's successor. "I have always said Virat Kohli is ideal. I don't think there are any doubts that he will be the next captain. He is already captain in Tests, but in T20s and ODIs too, he is going to be the next captain."

On being asked about Dhoni underutilising Ravichandran Ashwin in the World T20 and the IPL, Azharuddin said the off-spinner has to produce results, saying that at the end of the day that is all matters.

He also added that Dhoni has nurtured his players and youngsters in the team and that the captain would lose confidence in the bowlers if they do not perform up to the mark.

Team Director Ravi Shastri's term had come to an end after the World T20, and the BCCI is yet to seek the right fit for the job. Azharuddin feels it would be a foreign coach who will be taking over.

"Nowadays everybody looks to have a foreign coach. I don't think there will be anybody from India. There will be someone from outside, but it also depends on the captain," said Azharuddin.

He also backed Kohli's suggestion of roping in Kiwi legend Daniel Vettori as the head coach.