World Cup winning Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped down today as the skipper of the Indian ODI and T20 teams with immediate effect. The confirmation tweet was posted by BCCI this evening at 8.55 PM. 

NEWS ALERT - Mahendra Singh #Dhoni steps down as #Captain of #TeamIndia. He will be available for selection for ODIs & T20Is vs England pic.twitter.com/2xM0eisdjq

Dhoni, who has led India for 60 tests, 199 ODIs and 72 T20Is is the most successful captain in Indian cricket history with a shining trophy cabinet to his name. Despite stepping down, Dhoni will be available for selection for the upcoming England ODI and T20 series starting January 15.

What this means is that the Indian ODI team will most definitely play under the leadership of Virat Kohli. With the World Cup just two years away now and the Champions Trophy scheduled to start from 1st June this year, Kohli will have to chart down the future course of action for the young ODI squad along with Anil Kumble in time for big tournaments.

Dhoni will now play under a different captain after 2007 when he was anointed as the skipper of the Indian team. The first ODI against England is scheduled to be played in Pune on January 15 and the voice behind the stumps will no longer be calling the shots on the field.