Baramulla (The Telegraph): Gautam Gambhir has announced that he is ready to captain the Indian Test side, but current India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has declared that given a choice, he would choose himself for the top job.

Responding to a question on his successor, Dhoni, on Sunday, said that he would not like to name anyone in particular as it was not for him to decide.

“It is not my choice... My choice would be me,” Dhoni, who is here as part of his visit to the forward area of the Line of Control (LoC), said.

“As far as the contenders as concerned, there are many... We have Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli,” he said.

Sehwag was deputy to Dhoni for a long time before his opening partner and Delhi teammate Gambhir was appointed as the vice-captain of the team.

But Sehwag was made stop gap captain when Dhoni was rested from ODI series against West Indies.

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However, following a series of good performances Down Under, Kohli was named as the vice-captain of the team for the Asia Cup, played in Bangladesh earlier this year.

Gambhir, who is enjoying one of the most successful phases of his career having led the Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL-V glory, had said on Friday that he is ready for the challenge of Test captaincy.

“I am ready for it (Test captaincy). Ready for the responsibility of the challenge because you want to take different challenges as well. That’s where your mental toughness and character will be tested,” the left-handed batsman had said.

Moving away from the captaincy bit, Dhoni has also said that Sachin Tendulkar will do well as a Rajya Sabha member also. “This (Rajya Sabha) is a new avenue for him and I am sure he will do well and contribute there also.”

Dhoni, who was inducted as an honorary Lt Colonel in the Indian Army last year, wished Sachin “all the very best” for his new endeavour.

“I would like to wish him all the very best... He has been contributing in cricket and has done well in every field.”