MS Dhoni got 'emotional' after informing teammates about retirement

MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina

Former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was reportedly very emotional after sharing his decision to retire from Test cricket with his teammates in the dressing room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 30.

Team India manager Arshad Ayub did not reveal whether anyone from the team tried to persuade Dhoni to stay on as Test captain.

"Leave it there please, but I can say it was an emotional decision and nobody including new captain Virat Kohli was happy with his decision. "He wanted to leave on high and was the most respected and admired captain. We have to respect his decision," said Ayub whose stint as manager will end after the fourth Test in Sydney.

MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. Pic Courtesy: Suresh Raina's Twitter account

"I was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of his statement. But we had spoken about it before the Test also. Now what transpired between us is an internal matter but I can tell you that it wasn't a decision taken in haste. It was done after due deliberations," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said.

Was Dhoni a touch emotional when he intimated about the decision, Patel said,"Someone, who was present in the dressing room told me that he (Dhoni) was a bit emotional while announcing his decision. He has given fantastic service to Indian cricket and the BCCI has always believed that retirement is any player's personal choice."

Sanjay Patel said that Dhoni is very much India's captain in the other two formats.