Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday hinted that he may retire from Test cricket if he is to play in the 2015 cricket World Cup.
"If I have to see through the 2015 (World Cup), I would have to retire from one of the formats," Dhoni told mediapersons.
Dhoni, who has played in 66 Tests so far and won 17 of the 36 matches in which he has skippered, almost casually mentioned it which took everyone by surprise at the press conference.
Today's disclosure by Dhoni seems to convey what he feels about his future in the game if read together with what he had said earlier that he will decide by 2013 whether to play in 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The 30-year-old Dhoni is more and more being acknowledged as a really good captain in one-day cricket and a very effective batsman in the limited-overs format.
In the Tests, on the other hand, his team seems to have lost the knack of winning abroad in testing conditions and his batting, against lifting and seaming deliveries, look completely out of sorts.
Dhoni had earlier been quoted in the media that he will decide by 2013 if he will play in 2015 World Cup.
"What I really meant is by 2013 I would have to see where I stand as to my body. Whether I will be able to survive till the 2015 World Cup," he had said in the media.
"Of course form is a big factor but also what I need to say is that all of a sudden in 2014 if I feel I can't survive the 2015 World Cup and there comes a new wicketkeeper who has played just 30 ODIs, it's not fair.
"At 2013 end, I have to decide if fit enough to proceed in one of the format. It's not for personal but for country and for the individual who is taking my position. He should have played 70-80 ODIs before he goes in World Cup. That's my personal thinking," he had said.