18 April 2024 last updated at 15:13 GMT
 
'Rift in dressing room affecting Dhoni'
Tuesday 23 June 2015

Chanchal Bhattacharya, the childhood coach of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has said the Ranchi lad is unable to deliver results expected of him as skipper because of the prevailing atmosphere in the dressing room.

Bhattacharya told ANI that Dhoni has a lot of pressure on him as a captain and added that may be he is unable to adjust with the dressing room’s environment. “I don’t know the inside story but we have seen Dhoni play and fight till the last over. If one’s mind is not at peace then it is impossible to play,” Bhattacharya added. “He is unable to deliver his best because of mental pressure and because of the dressing room’s environment as well as the media. I haven’t spoken to him but I feel the environment of the dressing room is bad,” he added. 

He said that Dhoni still has immense talent and will be in the side for some more time taking into consideration his current form. Bhattacharya, however, said that the dressing room environment may have been the reason behind Dhoni’s recent remark suggesting that he was ready to step down as the skipper. “It was for the first time that India lost so badly against Bangladesh. As far as Mahendra Singh Dhoni is concerned, he gave a statement yesterday that if the BCCI wants he can play as a player. Whosoever be the captain, winning the game for the country is more important,” Bhattacharya told ANI here. 

“The way he is playing suggests that he would be in the game for some more time, but may be he may step down as the skipper,” he added. Dhoni has offered to step down after the side suffered the first-ever series defeat against Bangladesh on Sunday. Bangladesh took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a six-wicket win over the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 semi-finalists in Dhaka yesterday.

ANI

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