5 great players who retired at the right time

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Tests)

Dhoni retired midway through the 2014-15 Australia tour

His retirement came as a shock to many, but Dhoni decided to hang up his boots midway through the India-Australia series in 2014, just before the 2015 World Cup. While no one knows what exactly prompted the move, it suddenly pulled India out of its comfort zone and laid it bare, giving the enigmatic Virat Kohli the free hand to shape the future in his own way.

It proved to be a sensible move as Kohli shone, both as a captain and as a batsman. For Dhoni, it was a nice loss of extra burden, allowing him to concentrate on limited-overs. He ensured that he did not give the ODI and T20I captaincy right away, easing Kohli into the full-time role.