Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni indicated today that the reason behind his surprise decision to quit as captain of the limited-overs formats was that he did not agree with having separate skippers for Tests and the shorter versions of the game.

Dhoni, who announced his decision to step down as captain ahead of the ODI series against England which begins Sunday, simply said: “I don't believe in split captaincy.”

“For the team there has to be only one leader. Split captaincy doesn't work in India. I was waiting for the right time. I wanted Virat Kohli to ease into the job. There is no wrong decision. This team has potential to do well in all three formats. I felt it was right time to move on," Dhoni said in his first media interaction since stepping down from captaincy a fortnight ago in the western Indian city of Pune.

Recalling the chain of events leading up to the decision, Dhoni said he had informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) well in advance. He said he had been toying with the decision since he quit Test captaincy during a tour of Australia in 2014.

"I believe that one player leading the team is crucial. It was on my mind when Virat took over the Test captaincy. I wanted him to take over and ease into the job. I wanted to be around for some games and now I finally decided that it was time to move on and give Virat captaincy [of the limited-overs sides as well]," he said.

Asked how quitting captaincy would impact his role in the side, Dhoni said he would continue to give his suggestions and opinions to Kohli.

"The wicketkeeper is always the vice-captain of the side. I will have to keep a close eye on what the skipper wants. I already had a chat with Virat on where he wants his fields. I will have to be aware," he said.

"I will be there to give as many suggestions to him as and when he wants," he added.

"Virat and this team will win more games than me. I feel it will be the most successful team ever. That's the kind of experience and potential they have. They have played in knockout tournaments, they have played under pressure. I firmly believe that this will be the team that will rewrite history. They will do very well,” Dhoni concluded.