Kolkata: There is something special about MS Dhoni! He has this inclination towards catching you by surprise. Over and over again, the Jharkhand guy has caught us unawares with his decisions.
And on Wednesday, January 4, he decided to relinquish captaincy in the modified versions of the game i.e. ODIs and T20 internationals. Surprised we all are, but this has been something we associate with Dhoni who mulls over options but keeps them a secret and leaves the media searching for reasons.
If we have observed Dhoni over the years, here is one guy who sticks to his stance and will never ever let the biggest of scribes to know what his next move will be. If he hung up his boots in 2014 as a Test cricketer, it’s the same person who surprised us all with his decision to give up captaincy in ODIs and T20 Internationals. And he doesn’t care about records too: He was just short of one match to achieve the distinction of leading in 200 ODIs when he decided to bid adieu to captaincy.
Let’s face it! Here is an Indian cricketer who is not comfortable giving exclusive interviews. Here is an Indian skipper who has the ability to be secretive despite some of the legends of the Indian media quoting him on and off.
If you thought, it was a decision taken in haste, then God Bless You! Dhoni, perhaps read the writings on the wall! The Virat Kohli era in Indian cricket has started and some experts have already been categorical on Kohli taking over as the captain in the truncated versions of the game as well. But knowing Dhoni, he left it to his own discretion to decide on his future. He must have spent hours behind his future course of action before hanging up his boots as the captain of India in ODIs and T20s.
That’s Dhoni for you! He surprises you with his fluctuating batting order (read the World Cup final in 2011) or sticking to his conviction that seniors (Sourav Ganguly) should be left out of contention for ODIs.
Now, the million dollar question would be: Will Dhoni continue as a player till the 2019 World Cup? If he is big hearted, in the interest of Indian cricket, he should because there is still no replacement to him. One might predict that he will retire from international cricket after the Champions Trophy in England this year. But you never know since this man springs up surprises every now and then.
Talking about his contributions to Indian cricket, let’s discard statistics. He may have led the country to two World Cup triumphs (T20 WC in 2007 and World Cup in 2011), but the legacy he will leave behind transcends records. The Captain Cool is a man of convictions and he never ever reneges on it!
Dhoni, the leader will be missed! But we don’t want to miss Dhoni, the finisher! Even now, he remains indispensable in Indian cricket! Forget the articles some former cricketers write admonishing him, they have not achieved what Dhoni has! So, reconcile! Life moves on and so does the life of the Ranchi guy! But, Indian cricket still needs Dhoni! Even Kohli would second that deep down!
Let him with his experience guide the team and advise Kohli! Dhoni cannot be thrown into oblivion.