Bangalore, Nov 4 : Former Indian Test skipper Anil Kumble sees a bright future for Indian cricket under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who succeeded him.

"Dhoni has done exceptionally well and we have a very able leader in him,” Kumble told a news conference in Bangalore, his hometown, on Monday.

“I think the time was right for me to move on and the Indian cricket is definitely in good hands and the team looks pretty set to become number one in all forms of the game," added Kumble.

Kumble announced his retirement on Sunday.

The 38-year-old leg-spinner, Test cricket''s third highest wicket-taker with 619 scalps, quit after the drawn third Test against Australia at his favourite Ferozshah Kotla ground in New Delhi.

During the match, his 132nd Test, Kumble returned to bowl after having 11 stitches on a deep cut in his left hand, an act of selflessness and single-minded determination which has been the hallmark of his eventful career.

Unlike Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni, pin-ups in cricket-mad India, Kumble has always maintained a low profile despite his match-winning exploits since his debut as a 19-year-old in 1990.

Nicknamed ''Jumbo'' for his large heartedness and the way his deliveries take off like a jumbo jet, Kumble has been the team’s pivot for almost two decades as India began dominating home matches on slow pitches around him.

He helped fashion memorable Test victories in England, West Indies, Pakistan and Australia, where he took 24 wickets in three Tests on the 2003-04 tour, a four-test series which India famously squared 1-1. (ANI)