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[REPORTS] MS Dhoni asked to retire after 2019 World Cup

Should MS Dhoni retire from ODIs?

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> No update on MS Dhoni's retirement, the news is incorrect: BCCI chairman of selectors MSK Prasad</p>— CricketCountry (@cricket_country) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricket_country/status/1172116018337959936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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MS Dhoni's impending retirement has been the most talked about topic in Indian cricket in recent times. On Thursday, Virat Kohli tweeted a picture from 2016, thanking Dhoni for making him "run like in a fitness test". India defeated Australia by six wickets in their last group stage match to qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals. "A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test", Kohli wrote with the picture. Soon, there were speculation that Kohli's throwback tweet could be a farewell message for the former India captain. However, later in the day, chief selector MSK Prasad cleared the air by saying that the news about Dhoni's retirement is incorrect and there was no update on the matter. "No update on MS Dhoni's retirement, the news is incorrect," MSK Prasad told media after announcing India's Test squad for the three-match series against South Africa.

Dhoni took a sabbatical from cricket after India's 50-over World Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals.

He missed the three-match T20I series against the West Indies and has not been included in the squad for the upcoming T20I series against a touring South Africa.

Dhoni last played a T20I for India in February 2019, against Australia in Bengaluru.

India are all set to host South Africa for a three-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series starting on Sunday, followed by the Test series.

After a poor show in the recently-concluded series against the West Indies, KL Rahul has been dropped and the selectors have included Shubman Gill in the squad.

India are currently on top of the points table in the Test World Championship with 120 points.

India's squad for the Test series: Virat Kohli (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-capt), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk),Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/ms-...orrect-says-chief-selector-msk-prasad-2099934
 
Not sure why fans want him to officially announce retirement? He is not in the team so please calm down.

May be some fans are afraid of him taking Pant's position again in the LOI's?
:inti
 
Dhoni will announce his retirement when he wants. I think that is pretty clear now.

Media should move their focus to someone else!
 
MS Dhoni should go without being pushed out: Sunil Gavaskar to India Today

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has said time is up for MS Dhoni in international cricket. In the most forthright comments coming so far on Dhoni's future, the batting legend told India Today that Team India should look beyond the World Cup-winning former captain.

Sunil Gavaskar's comments come at a time when MS Dhoni's international future has become a major talking point in Indian cricket.

MS Dhoni has not played for India since the Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-final defeat to New Zealand. Dhoni made himself unavailable for selection for India's tour of West Indies in August as he took a sabbatical to train with the Para Regiment of the Indian Army in Kashmir.

MS Dhoni is also not part of the Indian squad for the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.

"Nobody knows know what is in MSD's mind. Only he can clarify what he thinks his future with Indian cricket is. But I think with him being 38 now, India should be looking ahead. Because by the time the next T20 World Cup comes around he will be 39 years old," Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.

Further weighing in on Dhoni's utility to Indian cricket's future, he maintains its time for the two time World Cup winner to go with dignity. "His value to the side is always going to be fantastic. Not just the runs he will score or the stumpings he will effect. But his overall presence on the field will be calming for the captain because the captain gets the benefit of his views. So that is a huge plus. But I do believe the time has come," Gavaskar said.

"Everybody has a shelf life and I do believe with the greatest of respect to Dhoni and I am a fan as millions of others; I just believe he should be going without being pushed out. He should be going on his own terms."

While selection committee chairman MSK Prasad had reiterated his stance on MS Dhoni's international future, saying "the legendary player" knows when to call it quits, the India captain and the team management have backed the veteran wicketkeeper.

Virat Kohli, while speaking to Star Sports ahead of the South Africa series, also said retirement decisions are purely personal while insisting MS Dhoni is still "very valuable" to Indian cricket.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...rishabh-pant-india-cricket-1601025-2019-09-19
 
Dhoni to Remain Unavailable for India Selection till November: Report

Former India captain MS Dhoni, who took a break from cricket to serve in the Army after the 2019 World Cup, will not be available for selection until November this year.

Dhoni’s break was supposed to be a two-month one that saw him remain unavailable for selection for both the tour of West Indies as well as the home T20Is against South Africa.

However, a report in the Mumbai Mirror suggests that he will now be extending his break from cricket, meaning he will miss out on both the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well as the home T20I series against Bangladesh.

This would mean that the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is likely to return to action only when the West Indies come visiting in December.

Dhoni’s future has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent times. Ahead of India’s first T20I against South Africa, skipper Virat Kohli had put out a tweet that many interpreted to be a retirement post.

"A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test," Kohli had tweeted. It led to rumour mills going into overdrive till chairman of selectors MSK Prasad termed it as "false news".

When Kohli was asked what was on his mind when he tweeted, the smiling skipper replied: "Mere zehen mein kuch naahi thaa yaar (I had nothing in my mind). I was sitting at home and I normally put out a photograph and it became a news item."

"I think it was a lesson for me, that the way I think, the whole world does not think that way. There was nothing in farthest stretch of my imagination (that it could be taken as retirement tribute) while putting that picture out on social media," he added.

In Dhoni’s absence, team management has been putting their hopes in Rishabh Pant to step up to the plate and prove that he could be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for years to come.

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...a-selection-till-november-report-2318261.html
 
Abdullah719 said:
Dhoni to Remain Unavailable for India Selection till November: Report

Former India captain MS Dhoni, who took a break from cricket to serve in the Army after the 2019 World Cup, will not be available for selection until November this year.

Dhoni’s break was supposed to be a two-month one that saw him remain unavailable for selection for both the tour of West Indies as well as the home T20Is against South Africa.

However, a report in the Mumbai Mirror suggests that he will now be extending his break from cricket, meaning he will miss out on both the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well as the home T20I series against Bangladesh.

This would mean that the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman is likely to return to action only when the West Indies come visiting in December.

Dhoni’s future has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent times. Ahead of India’s first T20I against South Africa, skipper Virat Kohli had put out a tweet that many interpreted to be a retirement post.

"A game I can never forget. Special night. This man, made me run like in a fitness test," Kohli had tweeted. It led to rumour mills going into overdrive till chairman of selectors MSK Prasad termed it as "false news".

When Kohli was asked what was on his mind when he tweeted, the smiling skipper replied: "Mere zehen mein kuch naahi thaa yaar (I had nothing in my mind). I was sitting at home and I normally put out a photograph and it became a news item."

"I think it was a lesson for me, that the way I think, the whole world does not think that way. There was nothing in farthest stretch of my imagination (that it could be taken as retirement tribute) while putting that picture out on social media," he added.

In Dhoni’s absence, team management has been putting their hopes in Rishabh Pant to step up to the plate and prove that he could be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for years to come.

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...a-selection-till-november-report-2318261.html
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I still struggle to comprehend why cricketers should be allowed to take “breaks” from cricket - especially when pursuing another full time job...

Your job is to represent your country whenever called upon - period... Else simply retire from the game.
 
It's in the DNA of Indian players I see. Tendulkar, Kapil prolonged their career beyond expiry date,now Dhoni
 
MS Dhoni, the former India captain, has been away from cricket for over two months. MS Dhoni took a sabbatical from cricket to serve time with Indian Army after India's semi-final exit from the World Cup. After World Cup 2019, speculations regarding MS Dhoni's retirement started to grow which were later cleared by chief selector MSK Prasad. However, MS Dhoni's decision to opt out of the series against the West Indies has not gone well with former India opening batsman, Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir has urged the selectors to talk to MS Dhoni regarding his future with Indian cricket team.

"I have always maintained this one thing. Retirement is an individual call, I think for me selectors should talk to him (MS Dhoni) and ask him about his future plan. Ultimately for me, playing for India, you should not be picking and choosing series," Gambhir said.

During the World Cup, Dhoni was heavily criticised for his low strike rate. He scored 273 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 87.78 in the tournament.

The team management decided to give Rishabh Pant a chance behind the wickets in the absence of MS Dhoni but Pant has so far failed to grab this opportunity. The 21-year-old could only manage to score 23 runs in the two Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa at home.

Speaking on the criticism Rishabh Pant is facing from fans and cricket pundits, Gambhir said that Pant has a long future ahead.

"There is too much attention that is being given to a new player. He is just 21, he has played for last two and a half years. He has got two hundreds in Test cricket. We should not be comparing him with anyone, the team management should be backing him in the right way. He is still young and he has got a long future ahead," Gambhir said.

Gambhir further added that on his day, Rishabh Pant has the potential to win matches for the country.

"Team management should talk to Pant. Not just Kohli, Ravi Shastri should also speak to him. Pant should be given freedom, if you curb him, he won't play to his potential. You have to accept that Pant will not always get his shot selection right. On his day, he can win you a game," he concluded.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/ms-...ng-and-choosing-series-gautam-gambhir-2107735
 
I had a chat with a Ranchi resident from Dhoni's area. He claims Dhoni is 1.5-2 years older than his age suggests. Whatever it maybe, just retire unlce please.
 
Realromeo said:
I had a chat with a Ranchi resident from Dhoni's area. He claims Dhoni is 1.5-2 years older than his age suggests. Whatever it maybe, just retire unlce please.
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Selectors are not selecting him anyway so I am not sure what problem do you have if he is not taking retirement. :inti
 
Mainul said:
It's in the DNA of Indian players I see. Tendulkar, Kapil prolonged their career beyond expiry date,now Dhoni
Click to expand...

At least with India, it's one particular player at a time, Pakistan have multiple players that prolong their careers beyond expiry date.
 
Former India international Gautam Gambhir doesn’t see MS Dhoni playing the next World Cup saying the time has come to move forward.

Speculations over the future of Dhoni continue with the former captain on an international break stretching back to India’s World Cup semi-final defeat in July this year. Since that, Dhoni has skipped two straight series against West Indies and South Africa with latest reports claiming he might not be available till November meaning he will skip the Bangladesh series and the ongoing domestic one-day tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Gambhir though feels that while retirement is a purely individual call, country should take precedence when making such decisions as preparing youngsters for tournaments like the world cup should be of prime importance.

“I feel that retirement is a very individual decision,” Gambhir told The Indian Express. “Till the time you want to play you are allowed to play, but you do have to look at the future as well. I do not see Dhoni playing the next World Cup.”

He continued, “It is not about Dhoni staying on for the next cricket World Cup, it is about winning the next cricket World Cup. You might want to give the opportunity to Rishabh Pant or Sanju Samson, any young cricketer… They should get the opportunity… I think personally, if you ask me, I think it’s time for Indian cricket to look beyond Dhoni.”

Gambhir says the Indian team management has to be courageous enough to let go of any player who they don’t see fit in their plans for the future. “So, whoever is the captain, Virat (Kohli) or anyone else, should have the courage to say so, that this player is not fitting into the scheme of things. It’s time for some of the youngsters to get groomed in the next four-five years, because ultimately it is not about Dhoni, it is about the country,” he said.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...ying-the-next-world-cup-gautam-gambhir-896454
 
Whether MS Dhoni wants to come back, that's for him to decide: Ravi Shastri

Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday said the availability of MS Dhoni depends on whether the former skipper wants to come back in the team or not. Dhoni extended his break after the Cricket World Cup and made himself unavailable for selection on the West Indies tour and the home series against South Africa.

Shastri though, made it clear that Dhoni himself has to decide on when he wants to start playing cricket again and let the selectors know about his future plans.

Dhoni has not played competitive cricket since the World Cup in England where he had an ordinary campaign with the bat and behind the stumps. He is likely to be available to play for India only in December when the West Indies tour the country for three T20Is and as many ODIs.

Rumours have been doing the rounds about his impending retirement from the sport ever since India crashed out of the World Cup in the semi-finals with the team now looking to groom Rishabh Pant as his replacement in limited-overs cricket.

"Whether he wants to come back, that's for him to decide. I have not met him after the World Cup. He has to first start playing and let's see how things go. I don't think he has started playing after the World Cup. If he is keen, he will definitely let the selectors know.

"He will go down as one of our greatest players, very, very high up the list," Ravi Shastri told The Hindu.

Shastri also spoke about the selection of wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha and explained why the Bengal cricketer was preferred over the dynamic Rishabh Pant, who has scored Test hundreds in England and Australia.

"Saha was injured and that was the reason Pant came into the Test side. Saha is the best 'keeper' in the world, and at home, where the bounce can be variable, his 'keeping is invaluable.

"Pant has scored Test hundreds in England and Australia, is talented, but he is still very young and has the time to improve his 'keeping'," Shastri said.
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...ach-ravi-shastri-interview-1607407-2019-10-09
 
'I control my emotions better than others' – Dhoni

Hailed as the 'Captain Cool' or the 'Ice Man' in the cricketing fraternity, MS Dhoni, the former India captain revealed that focusing on the next move in tough situations helps him overcome his emotions.

Arguably one of the best cricketing minds around, MS Dhoni knows how to bring the best out of himself and his teammates when the going gets tough. He has demonstrated this ability on the biggest of occasions, be it his match winning 91* in the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2011, or his smart rotation of bowlers during the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, which helped India defend a modest 129/7 in 20 overs to lift the title.

The 38-year-old admitted that he controls his emotions better than some of his teammates.

“I am like everyone else but I control my emotions better than some of the other individuals,” said Dhoni, who made his made his first media appearance since India’s semifinal exit from the World Cup 2019. “I would say, I feel equally frustrated. I also feel angry at times, disappointed. But what is important is that none of these feelings are constructive.”

The former captain puts more emphasis on planning his next move and believes that realizing the value of short-team goals helps to achieve bigger success.

“What needs to be done right now is more important than any of these emotions," said the veteran, who has made 538 international appearances for India across the three formats. "What is the next thing I can plan? Who is the next individual, whom I can use? Once I get into it, I am controlling my emotions in a much better way. If it’s a Test match, you have two innings, you get slightly longer duration to plan out your next move. In T20s, everything happens very quickly, so demands are different.

“It might be an individual, who has committed a mistake or it might be the whole team. Maybe we didn’t execute the plan whatever the format may be. What you want to achieve as a team is to win the tournament but that’s a long-term goal. Ultimately, what you do is to break it into smaller things.

Dhoni, who led India to glory on his first ever assignment as India captain, helping them win the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, reminisced over the fond memory of the bowl-out after a tied finish against Pakistan in the group stage fixture, and cited it as a great example of individuals embracing different roles and responsibility.

“There was something particular about that World Cup. The ‘Bowl-Out’ was one of the things," he said. "I remember we would go for practice. Before every practice session, we would practice ‘Bowl Out’ before or after the warm-up. We said it very clear it is for fun but at the same time, whoever hits the wicket most number of times, we will use him if the situation arises. It has got nothing to do with I am a bowler, this is my job. It’s like a performance thing and we will keep doing it everyday and whoever has the best hit-ratio are the ones who will be used.

“Ultimately, winning or losing comes to each and every individual who is part of the team. In team sport, everybody has a role and a responsibility. Throughout the T20 World Cup, the roles and responsibilities given to individuals was fulfilled to the best manner possible. That was the reason we won the tournament.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1453802
 
Till I am around, everybody will be respected, Ganguly on Dhoni's international future

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday said the matter of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's future in international cricket will be addressed but vowed to accord the two-time World Cup winning captain respect during his tenure.

Ganguly said he doesn't now what is in Dhoni's mind but promised that a player of his stature will be accorded respect.

Dhoni has been on a sabbatical from international cricket since India's semi-final exit in the ODI World Cup, leading to speculations about his future.

"You know champions don't finish quickly. I don't know what's in his mind and what he thinks about his career. So we will deal with that you know," Ganguly said at his media conference after taking over as the board president.

"He is one of the greats of the game and India is proud to have MS Dhoni over a period of time. If you even sit down and take a note of what he has done, you say, 'Wow, MS Dhoni'," he said.

Legends of the game have often had unceremonious exit and Ganguly himself knows it more than anyone else how it feels to fight speculations and criticism.

"Till I am around, everybody will be respected and that doesn't change," Ganguly said.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament starts on November 9 and it is still not clear if Dhoni will be playing that tournament in case he wants to make himself available for selection for the West Indies tour at the end of the year.
https://www.business-standard.com/a...ni-s-international-future-119102300793_1.html
 
Dhoni should always be respected for his accomplishments, however, it does not mean he can stay in the team forever. Ganguly needs to be ruthless professional, if any player does not feature in long term planning (2023 WC), he should be dropped.

No need for emotions in this sport, you are playing for your country not a galli mohalla team.
 
RANCHI: Speculation over his retirement has been rife ever since India lost the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand in July. MS Dhoni’s silence has added fuel to the fire. Unperturbed with the noise over that, the former skipper has quietly started training at the gym in JSCA International Stadium. He spent close to an hour on Wednesday. Sources also confirmed that he might train with the Jharkhand U-23 team, which is having a camp for the national one-day tournament starting on October 31.

“He spoke to a support staff of the senior Jharkhand team but as they would be leaving for Surat to participate in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s starting on November 8, he is likely to practise with under-23 boys at the stadium,” said a source close to developments. The camp is organised for a week before the team leaves for Jaipur, where they start against Kerala on November 1.

“He has started working on his fitness by training at the gym. He also plays badminton, tennis and billiards at the venue. They all are part of his preparations. He might start playing competitive cricket from January which means he will not be a part of the Jharkhand team for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” added the source.

Sources close to him suggest that Dhoni might not only skip the three T20Is scheduled against Bangladesh next month, but also the limited-over series against West Indies in December. The Caribbean team will play three T20Is and as many one-dayers.Sri Lanka will visit India in January to play three T20Is before Australia make a short tour of the country in the same month for three ODIs. India will then fly to New Zealand for a long tour comprising T20Is, ODIs and Tests.

The five T20Is will be played on January 24, 26, 29, 31 and February 2, while the three ODIs will be held on February 5, 8 and 11. The three-match Test series, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship, will begin on February 5. The three ODIs will be played on March 12, 15 and 18.

Dhoni may join the India team for the Sri Lanka T20Is. In case he skips that series, he can then be expected to play five T20Is against New Zealand. “He is preparing himself for the World T20 scheduled in Australia from October 18 to November 15. He might prefer the shortest format in days to come and will definitely play for Chennai Super Kings in IPL next year,” said sources.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/spo...honi-may-train-with-u-23-players-2052183.html
 
Chief selector MSK Prasad on Wednesday made it clear that they are willing to give Rishabh Pant a long rope, saying Mahendra Singh Dhoni is on the same page with the selection committee’s decision to back youngsters.

While Dhoni has made himself unavailable for selection since the 50-over World Cup, the selection committee on Thursday included Sanju Samson as a back-up wicket-keeper for Pant in India’s T20 squad for the series against Bangladesh.

Prasad said he has already mentioned that it’s time to think beyond Dhoni and it reflected in their team selections.

“I made it very clear, post World Cup that we are moving on. We are giving opportunities to youngsters and see that they establish themselves in the side. With Rishabh Pant doing so well and Sanju Samson coming into the side, I am sure, you must be understanding our thought process,” Prasad said.

“We definitely had a chat with Dhoni and he also endorses our view of backing youngsters.”

Putting his weight firmly behind Pant, Prasad said, “Post World Cup, I have been very clear on this, that after World Cup we have started backing Rishabh Pant. So, we will still back him (Pant) and see that he progresses well.

“Of course, he might not have the best of the matches, the way we expect of him, but we can still only make a player by backing somebody. So, we are confident that he will come out successful and that’s been the thought process post World Cup and we focusing on Rishabh Pant.”

On Dhoni’s future, the former cricketer said, that is purely his personal call.

“Going into domestic cricket, getting his touch back or thoughts about retirement, everything is purely his personal decision. We’ve already laid the roadmap for future, I’m sure you can see in the way we are selecting the teams.”

The five-man panel also handed young allrounder Shivam Dube a place in the squad.

“Earlier we had Hardik Pandya, then we also tried Vijay Shankar. All of us agreed in unison that the role we have, he (Dube) fits in very well. He bats aggressively, his performances in the India A Series in West Indies and also against South Africa in the ODIS (for India A) was phenomenal. He has gone up by leaps and bounds, a notch higher and we are convinced about it.”

Prasad also said that they are looking at Samson as a top-order batsman. “We are looking at him as a batsman who can keep. Definitely he will play at the top,” he said.

Samson had played his only T20 against Zimbabwe in 2015. A regular in the India A set up. He has been rewarded for a good Vijay Hazare Trophy season, having amassed 410 runs in eight innings, including a double-century earlier this month.

Prasad said Samson’s inconsistency had kept him away from selection all these years.

“Samson was there in the Indian team 4-5 years ago, his problem was inconsistency. In the last one year, he has had a fantastic IPL followed by a good India A series against South Africa and then a wonderful Vijay Hazare as well. He is more consistent now and that is the reason we thought of drafting him in the squad,” he said.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...rom-indias-squad-for-bangladesh-series-902149
 
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Miss this little one (and the big guy too) ❤ <a href="https://t.co/Fsl8s0m68L">pic.twitter.com/Fsl8s0m68L</a></p>— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) <a href="https://twitter.com/hardikpandya7/status/1190530840704339968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


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https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/cricket/hardik-pandya-missing-big-guy-ms-dhoni20191102174926/
 
Yuvraj Singh, who retired from international cricket in June 2019, was asked about the speculation on the future of MS Dhoni, who is on a sabbatical from cricket since the 2019 World Cup. The former India all-rounder said the national selectors need to take a call on this. "I don't know boss. You should ask your great selectors, when you meet them. That's their call, not mine," Yuvraj Singh told reporters in Mumbai. Yuvraj Singh opined that India need "better selectors" to keep the players motivated.

"We do need better selectors, for sure. Selectors' job is not easy. Whenever they select 15 players, there will be talks that what will happen to the other 15. It's a difficult job but their thinking in terms of modern-day cricket is not up to the mark. It's my opinion," Yuvraj said.

"I am always in favour of protecting the players and being positive about them. By talking negative about your players and team doesn't show you in true light. The character only shows when things are going wrong and you motivate the players. In bad times, everyone talks bad. We definitely need better selectors," he said.

Yuvraj cited example of Glenn Maxwell to claim that no Indian player can take a break from cricket like the Australian all-rounder as they fear losing their spot in Team India.

"We see outside India, if players are fatigued and tired mentally, like is the case with (Glenn) Maxwell, he has taken a break because he is feeling it.

"Our players can't do that because they fear they may lose their place. So a players' association is very important," he added.

Recently, Maxwell opted for a short break from cricket to deal with "mental health difficulties"

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/yuv...-great-selectors-2127240?pfrom=home-sshowcase
 
Former India captain M.S. Dhoni will take a call on his future after next year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), a source close to the star cricketer said on Tuesday.

Dhoni has been on a sabbatical since India’s semifinal exit from the ODI World Cup in England in July. He has missed the tour of the West Indies and the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh.

“If at all MS will take a call on his future, it will only be after the IPL. You can’t stop speculation as he is such a big player. He is in the best shape possible fitness-wise and has been training hard for the last one month,” the source told PTI.

“However the number of competitive games he will play before the IPL will be decided in due course,” he added.

Read: 'Rather than speculating on Dhoni, wait till IPL'

The 38-year-old, who captains Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, will also skip the limited-overs home assignment against the West Indies starting December 6 and comprising three T20 Internationals and an equal number of one-dayers.

National selection committee chairman M.S.K. Prasad has already made it clear that the panel has “moved on” and Dhoni is aware of its intent to blood youngsters such as Rishabh Pant keeping in mind next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

Pant, however, hasn’t capitalised on the chances that have come his way and has copped criticism for sloppy work behind the stumps. Recently, Pant also drew flak for poor DRS calls, something that the seasoned Dhoni had aced.

Dhoni, on his part, has not uttered a word on his future course of action.

He was, however, seen training with Jharkhand’s under-23 team in Ranchi some days ago, triggering a fresh round of speculation on a possible comeback.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has stated that Dhoni will get the respect that a player of his stature deserves and had ruled out an immediate retirement by the celebrated wicketkeeper-batsman.

“You know champions don’t finish quickly,” he had stated when he took over as the Board president last month.

One of the biggest names in Indian cricket, Dhoni led India to two world titles — the 2007 World T20 in South Africa and the 2011 ODI World Cup at home.

The veteran has played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20 Internationals for India, accumulating over 17,000 runs.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...n-chennai-super-kings-ipl/article30088254.ece
 
It wouldn’t surprise me if Dhoni was taking a leaf out of Misbah’s book.

Dhoni can be forgiven, given what he’s accomplished for the greater good of Indian Cricket.
 
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Dhoni is playing his role well. He’s got the world talking. He will continue to till the next IPL.
 
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Long-serving India wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni may quit one-day internationals soon but could still be in contention for a place in the country’s squad for the Twenty20 World Cup, coach Ravi Shastri said.

Dhoni, who will turn 39 in July, quit test cricket in 2014 and has not played for India since taking a break after the team’s semi-finals exit at the 50-overs World Cup in July last year.

The phlegmatic former India captain has steadfastly refused to elaborate on his future and is set to return to action at the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is likely to begin in March.

A good outing in the franchise-based Twenty20 league could see him join Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson in a three-way race for the stumper’s role in the World Cup in Australia.

“He has finished (playing) test match cricket. In all probability, he will finish one-day cricket. At his age I think, the only format he will want to play is T20,” Shastri told CNN-News18 channel.

“If he feels, when he comes back, that something is not right, he will quit...But if he has a cracking IPL season then, you know...”

“Then it’s the selectors’ job to see what they want to do. But if he does a great job, I’m sure he puts himself into contention.”

Asked what if all three stumpers impress in the IPL, Shastri hinted Dhoni’s experience might clinch it for him even though Pant might still play purely as a batsman.

“You have to see, who will do the job at what number at what role,” Shastri said.

“Whose experience will you take into account? Will you take youth or flamboyance into account? Who fits in to that number the best? If we are playing in Australia, who will adapt to that condition the best?”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-c...be-in-t20-world-cup-mix-shastri-idUKKBN1Z90HN
 
Sunil Gavaskar on Saturday questioned MS Dhoni's sabbatical from the game since the World Cup semifinal loss in July, asking "does anybody keep himself away from playing for India for that long?" Dhoni's future has been a subject of intense speculation since India's World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand on July 9. The 38-year-old has not played since that heartbreaking defeat but is likely to make a comeback with the IPL. Asked if MS Dhoni can make India's T20 World Cup squad, Gavaskar said, "Fitness is something that I can't tell you anything at all. The question that needs to be asked is of MSD himself. He has not made himself available to play for India since 10th of July (9th actually).

"That is the important question. Does anybody keep himself away from playing for India for that long? That is the question and therein lies the answer," said the former India captain after delivering the 26th Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial lecture.

In a recent interview, head coach Ravi Shastri said Dhoni may soon end his ODI career but could be in contention for a T20 World Cup berth provided he is in good form.

Gavaskar also said that Ranji Trophy will remain a "poor cousin" of the cash-rich IPL until the player's match fee in the country's premier first-class tournament is substantially increased.

A player now gets approximately Rs 2.5 lakh per match in the Ranji Trophy, a far cry from the meagre salary the cricketers would withdraw not long ago, but still the amount is no match to the millions the IPL stars earn.

"IPL dominates Ranji Trophy. Unless their match fees are increased substantially, it will be considered an orphan and poor cousin of Indian cricket," Gavaskar said.

"I think 26 percent of the BCCI revenue goes to the the players, out of which 13 percent goes to the international players, 10 percent goes to domestic cricket, 1.5 to junior, 1.5 to women's cricket. That has not really been increased over the past few years barring the Test cricketers."

Gavaskar said there is too much disparity between the earnings of a first-class cricketer and an IPL recruit.

"I am hoping new president Sourav Ganguly will look into this. The disparity that you see between IPL players, who don't always play first class cricket, and those who play all the domestic games, about 80 days and somebody who plays 14 days of IPL.

"There is big disparity. I am talking about the uncapped players. Hopefully that will be narrowed down as much as possible."

On ICC's proposal to trim Test cricket to four days from five, he added: "What I think doesn't matter. It is what the current players think that matters. They should be consulted before BCCI takes a call."

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sun...s-dhonis-long-sabbatical-from-cricket-2162570
 
India vs Australia, 1st ODI: MS Dhoni Becomes Top Trend After India's Humiliating Loss; Wankhede Crowd Chants Dhoni's Name After KL Rahul's Missed Catch of Warner

If it was Rishabh Pant throughout 2019, it’s now KL Rahul in 2020, at least up till now, who is facing the wrath of the Twitterverse, trolls and those keyboard warriors who have an opinion on everything under the Sun and seems to take joy out of ‘trolling’ players irrespective of the team targetting every non-descript incident from a match.

While India’s humiliating loss at the Wankhede in the first ODI against Australia on Tuesday was fodder for memes, KL Rahul found himself at the receiving end of the so-called passionate fans of the Indian cricket team. Disregarding the terrific batting form he is in and – the stroke-filled 47 he made earlier in the day, the Karnataka batsman, who had to fill in for Rishabh Pant – out with a concussion – was subjected to unnecessary trolling not just by social media users but also from the well-informed Mumbai crowd.

After missing a tough catch of David Warner, when Australia were closing in on victory, the crowd started chanting MS Dhoni’s name and that was followed by calls for getting Dhoni back for the series. While Rahul kept well as a makeshift stumper, the chance in itself was a very tough one with Ravindra Jadeja sneaking in an arm to fox Warner. The ball pitched on middle and leg and spun viciously, taking the inside edge of Warner, who was out of the crease. Rahul could not react quickly enough to the cover for the turn and a tough chance went begging.

It will up for debate whether even Dhoni would have been able to collect such a tough chance, but who’s willing to give Rahul the benefit of the doubt, nobody. The trolls saw their chance and flooded Twitter with comments directed at the Indian international as if it was at that very moment that India lost the match and the media bandwagon saw it as the buzzing story from the match and went to town with it – including us.
https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...after-kl-rahuls-missed-catch-of-warner-913248

<iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/048ek/gcudku" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Abdullah719 said:
India vs Australia, 1st ODI: MS Dhoni Becomes Top Trend After India's Humiliating Loss; Wankhede Crowd Chants Dhoni's Name After KL Rahul's Missed Catch of Warner

If it was Rishabh Pant throughout 2019, it’s now KL Rahul in 2020, at least up till now, who is facing the wrath of the Twitterverse, trolls and those keyboard warriors who have an opinion on everything under the Sun and seems to take joy out of ‘trolling’ players irrespective of the team targetting every non-descript incident from a match.

While India’s humiliating loss at the Wankhede in the first ODI against Australia on Tuesday was fodder for memes, KL Rahul found himself at the receiving end of the so-called passionate fans of the Indian cricket team. Disregarding the terrific batting form he is in and – the stroke-filled 47 he made earlier in the day, the Karnataka batsman, who had to fill in for Rishabh Pant – out with a concussion – was subjected to unnecessary trolling not just by social media users but also from the well-informed Mumbai crowd.

After missing a tough catch of David Warner, when Australia were closing in on victory, the crowd started chanting MS Dhoni’s name and that was followed by calls for getting Dhoni back for the series. While Rahul kept well as a makeshift stumper, the chance in itself was a very tough one with Ravindra Jadeja sneaking in an arm to fox Warner. The ball pitched on middle and leg and spun viciously, taking the inside edge of Warner, who was out of the crease. Rahul could not react quickly enough to the cover for the turn and a tough chance went begging.

It will up for debate whether even Dhoni would have been able to collect such a tough chance, but who’s willing to give Rahul the benefit of the doubt, nobody. The trolls saw their chance and flooded Twitter with comments directed at the Indian international as if it was at that very moment that India lost the match and the media bandwagon saw it as the buzzing story from the match and went to town with it – including us.
https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...after-kl-rahuls-missed-catch-of-warner-913248

<iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/048ek/gcudku" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Indians are very sentimental and emotional so not surprised. Pretty sure Dhoni's career as an Indian cricketer is done. He will play IPL, and domestic LOI matches.
 
Dhoni is being a massive drama queen by not making it clear what his plans are.
 
Realromeo said:
Indians are very sentimental and emotional so not surprised. Pretty sure Dhoni's career as an Indian cricketer is done. He will play IPL, and domestic LOI matches.
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if his intl career is over then pretty sure he won't play any matches other than IPL...
 
MS Dhoni middled almost every ball: Jharkhand coach pleasantly surprised

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stunned Jharkhand coach Rajiv Kumar with his fluent batting even as the stumper started training for the first time since India's loss in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand in July last year.

Speaking to IANS, Kumar said that he was expecting a little rustiness from the batsman, but the balls seemed to be hitting the middle of the bat. The coach went on to add that the Chennai Super Kings skipper's preparations have begun for the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League.

"I will be honest... I thought there will be a bit of rustiness as Dhoni has not trained for quite some time. The last time we had spoken, he had said that he would start in January and here you go. He is a man of his words and it came as no surprise that he was out there training with the guys just like any other regular Jharkhand player. But what surprised me most was how he middled almost every ball, be it in the pacer's net or the spinner's net. He even took throwdowns just like a player going through the batting drills does.

"I haven't had any talks with him with regards to the national team and him donning the India jersey again. But, his preparations for the next edition of the IPL has begun and while the senior team will be busy playing the Ranji Trophy game from Sunday, Dhoni will continue training till the time he is in Ranchi," the coach pointed.

Asked if Dhoni did anything specific in the two days that he has trained so far, Kumar said the former skipper spent a lot of time talking to the bowlers.

"He is such a professional and has been going on spending time with the youngsters, especially the bowlers. He is discussing the line and length that they should target and the ways to fox the opposition batsmen. He has been as vocal as can be expected from a senior player like Dhoni," Kumar said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the men's central contracts for the period between October 2019 and September 2020 and the major omission was Dhoni. While eyebrows were raised if this meant the end of the road for the Man with the Midas Touch, BCCI officials, as well as head coach Ravi Shastri, have made it clear that the IPL will decide if Dhoni will board the plane to Australia to play in the World T20.

"It all depends on when he starts playing and how he is playing during the IPL. Also, what are the other people doing with the wicket-keeping gloves or what is the form of those players as opposed to Dhoni's form. The IPL becomes a massive tournament because that could be the last event after which more or less your 15 will be decided.

"There might be one player who might be there and thereabouts in case of an injury or whatever. But your team, I would say, would be known after the IPL. What I would say is rather than speculating who is where wait for the IPL to get over and then you are in a position to take a call on who are the best 17 in the country," Shastri had told IANS.
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...oach-bcci-player-contracts-1637871-2020-01-17
 
It is unknown whether MS Dhoni will play again for India, but he will definitely turn out for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2020, vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements, owners of CSK N Srinivasan confirmed Sunday. Srinivasan, the former BCCI chief also announced that CSK “will retain Dhoni” during the auction process in 2021, which will be a mega-auction.

“People keep saying when will he… how long will he play, etc. He will play. I can assure you. He will play this year. Next year he will go the auction; he will be retained. So there is no doubt in anybody’s mind,” Srinivasan said at a recent India Cements event.

Dhoni has been with CSK since the very beginning in 2008 barring the two seasons in 2016 and 2017 when the team was banned in the spot-fixing scandal. Under Dhoni, CSK have won the IPL three times in 2010, 2011 and 2018, while being runner-up five times. A recent report stated that Dhoni wanted the franchise to release him ahead of the auction so they could save money. But with the Right-to-Match card, CSK could always bring their CSK star back.

Dhoni hasn’t played since the 2019 World Cup, continuing to remain unavailable for selections. He was recently left out of BCCI’s list of Central Contracts, adding further fuel to speculations that he might be done. Although coach Ravi Shastri had maintained that he will be back in contention if he has a good IPL.

“If he decides to play, which he will because he will play the IPL, then he will start with a very fresh mind and very clear ideas,” Shastri told India Today in an interview. “Then you’ve got to see form. If he has a great IPL and puts himself into contention that ‘I’m available for selection’, then you don’t fool around.”

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...per-kings-in-2021-auction-n-srinivasan-913923
 
While criticizing the current Indian team management’s lack of communication while dropping players, former India opener Virender Sehwag revealed that MS Dhoni too, at times, failed to communicate properly in the dressing room.

Sehwag, who was not at all happy with India’s decision to bench Rishabh Pant continuously, cited the example of former skipper Dhoni. Sehwag revealed that in 2012 Dhoni had said Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir were being rotated at the top of the order because they are slow on the field but the same thing was never communicated to them in the dressing room.

The dashing former batsman revealed the talk in the dressing room was that Rohit Sharma needs to be given an opportunity and that is why the rotation policy is being adopted.

“When MS Dhoni said in Australia that top three are slow fielders, we were never asked or consulted. We got to know from the media. He said at the press conference but not at the team meeting that we are slow fielders,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

The former opener was referring to the tri-series in Australia in 2012 when Dhoni had decided to rotate Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order.

“During our time, captain used to go and talk with the player (in question). Now I don’t know if Virat Kohli does the same or not. I am not part of the team setup. But people say that when Rohit Sharma went to Asia Cup as captain, he used to talk to all the players,” he said.

“Rishabh Pant has been left out how will he score runs? If you bench Sachin Tendulkar also, he won’t be able to score runs. If you feel he is a match-winner, why don’t you play him? Because he is not consistent?” Sehwag questioned.

Rishabh Pant lost his place in the Indian side after being concussed by a Pat Cummins bouncer during the India-Australia 1st ODI. Ever since then, KL Rahul has been given the dual role of a ‘keeper batsman. Pant, in fact, is the only one India’s squad, who is yet to get a game in New Zealand.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...nder-sehwag/story-1Q8ynjX3OaPHpV7zlOnH2J.html
 
Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev on Monday raised fresh doubts over Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s future in international cricket, saying “I don’t think you can come back from anywhere” after not playing for so long.

The two-time World Cup winning captain, who has not played since India’s semifinal loss in the World Cup in the United Kingdom, was last month dropped from the BCCI’s list of centrally contracted players.

“If you haven’t played cricket for so long then I don’t think you can come back from anywhere,” Kapil, India’s first World Cup winning captain, told ABP News.

Kapil also felt Dhoni’s form in the IPL could be crucial.

”... But he still has IPL, his form there will be important and selectors should see what is best for the country,” he said.

“Dhoni has done a lot for the country but when you don’t play for 6-7 months, you leave a doubt in everyone’s mind. And then that creates a lot of discussions which shouldn’t happen.”

The 38-year-old’s omission from the contract list was not unexpected considering that he has not played any international cricket for months.

India head coach Ravi Shastri had said that Dhoni may soon end his ODI career but could be in contention for a spot in the T20 World Cup squad provided he does well in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings.

Since the World Cup, Dhoni has missed the tour of the West Indies and the home series against South Africa, Bangladesh, the West Indies, Australia and the limited overs assignments against New Zealand.

One of the biggest names in Indian cricket, Dhoni led India to two world titles — the 2007 World T20 in South Africa and the 2011 ODI World Cup at home.

The veteran has played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20 Internationals for India, accumulating over 17,000 runs and effecting a staggering 829 dismissals behind the stumps.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...nai-super-kings-kapil-dev/article30725997.ece
 
To hell with grandpa's form in IPL. IIRC, his form has been alright in IPL for past few seasons. However that hasn't made him even a fair performer in international arena.
 
Worst thing to happen to Indian cricket after 2013. Preached to others cannot practice.
 
I miss Thala,
Spinners needs guidance from Mahi Bhai and it will be heard on stump mic "Dande pe daal,Aage daal".
We need a finisher in low scoring matches during chase and he will make one sided matches into exciting matches and attract the crowds by doing tuk tuk.
Anyone who gets mom will say in the match presentation that Because of Mahi Bhai I deserve this award.
 
Abdullah719 said:
MS Dhoni middled almost every ball: Jharkhand coach pleasantly surprised

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stunned Jharkhand coach Rajiv Kumar with his fluent batting even as the stumper started training for the first time since India's loss in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand in July last year.

Speaking to IANS, Kumar said that he was expecting a little rustiness from the batsman, but the balls seemed to be hitting the middle of the bat. The coach went on to add that the Chennai Super Kings skipper's preparations have begun for the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League.

"I will be honest... I thought there will be a bit of rustiness as Dhoni has not trained for quite some time. The last time we had spoken, he had said that he would start in January and here you go. He is a man of his words and it came as no surprise that he was out there training with the guys just like any other regular Jharkhand player. But what surprised me most was how he middled almost every ball, be it in the pacer's net or the spinner's net. He even took throwdowns just like a player going through the batting drills does.

"I haven't had any talks with him with regards to the national team and him donning the India jersey again. But, his preparations for the next edition of the IPL has begun and while the senior team will be busy playing the Ranji Trophy game from Sunday, Dhoni will continue training till the time he is in Ranchi," the coach pointed.

Asked if Dhoni did anything specific in the two days that he has trained so far, Kumar said the former skipper spent a lot of time talking to the bowlers.

"He is such a professional and has been going on spending time with the youngsters, especially the bowlers. He is discussing the line and length that they should target and the ways to fox the opposition batsmen. He has been as vocal as can be expected from a senior player like Dhoni," Kumar said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the men's central contracts for the period between October 2019 and September 2020 and the major omission was Dhoni. While eyebrows were raised if this meant the end of the road for the Man with the Midas Touch, BCCI officials, as well as head coach Ravi Shastri, have made it clear that the IPL will decide if Dhoni will board the plane to Australia to play in the World T20.

"It all depends on when he starts playing and how he is playing during the IPL. Also, what are the other people doing with the wicket-keeping gloves or what is the form of those players as opposed to Dhoni's form. The IPL becomes a massive tournament because that could be the last event after which more or less your 15 will be decided.

"There might be one player who might be there and thereabouts in case of an injury or whatever. But your team, I would say, would be known after the IPL. What I would say is rather than speculating who is where wait for the IPL to get over and then you are in a position to take a call on who are the best 17 in the country," Shastri had told IANS.
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...oach-bcci-player-contracts-1637871-2020-01-17
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You expect international batsmen to middle them in the nets.

Can't believe Dhoni is using a nobody (Rajiv Kumar) to help him stay in news.
 
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andy0204 said:
I miss Thala,
Spinners needs guidance from Mahi Bhai and it will be heard on stump mic "Dande pe daal,Aage daal".
We need a finisher in low scoring matches during chase and he will make one sided matches into exciting matches and attract the crowds by doing tuk tuk.
Anyone who gets mom will say in the match presentation that Because of Mahi Bhai I deserve this award.
Click to expand...

You forgot how "yahaan aa, wahaan girl friend nahi khadi hai teri" has helped improve Indian fielding standards.
 
ind_win said:
Worst thing to happen to Indian cricket after 2013. Preached to others cannot practice.
Click to expand...
Had he left the Indian cricket scene voluntarily before WC '15, results of last 2 WCs might've been way different than what they were eventually.

I still can't believe we carried a dead weight like him even in WC '19! Sigh! We royally screwed our own chances through these selections especially during last WC.
 
MP2011 said:
Had he left the Indian cricket scene voluntarily before WC '15, results of last 2 WCs might've been way different than what they were eventually.

I still can't believe we carried a dead weight like him even in WC '19! Sigh! We royally screwed our own chances through these selections especially during last WC.
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Cannot agree with you more. And even if the replacement and other positions which he affected were a failure, at least that would've been a positive failure and step in the right direction. I am more ****** off with him as he went overboard with "youth, fitness etc" abt senior players.. ultimately what matters is performance ..and he is just physically fit and cannot perform anymore.just like those he quoted back in 2007/8..(not everyone can be as fit as kohli) still shamelessly clings on.
 
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ind_win said:
Cannot agree with you more. And even if the replacement and other positions which he affected were a failure, at least that would've been a positive failure and step in the right direction. I am more ****** off with him as he went overboard with "youth, fitness etc" abt senior players.. ultimately what matters is performance ..and he is just physically fit and cannot perform anymore.just like those he quoted back in 2007/8..(not everyone can be as fit as kohli) still shamelessly clings on.
Click to expand...
Yeah, very hypocritical of him to carry on for close to 4 years despite him being nowhere near his best form.

4 years in senior team, just resting on his past laurels! Can anyone believe this?
 
Let Dhoni take a call on his retirement, says Shukla

Former Indian Premier League chairman Rajiv Shukla on Friday said ex-India skipper M. S. Dhoni has a lot of cricketing career left and only he can decide when to hang up his boots.

Shukla said the Board of Control for Cricket in India has a policy in place that allows a player to decide when to call it a day.

"Dhoni is a great cricketer and there is a lot more cricket left in him. But, he has to decide when he should take retirement," Shukla told reporters here.

The 38-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman retired from Test cricket in 2014.

There is a lot of speculation over the retirement of the two-time World Cup winning India captain from limited overs formats of the game.

The popular cricketer from Jharkhand took a break from the game after India's exit in the semifinals of the 2019 50-over World Cup in England. He is set to be back in action in the IPL, where he will lead the Chennai Super Kings, starting March 23.

Asked about workload management of cricketers, Shukla said fixtures for two international series should be charted out in such a way that players get proper time to rest in between.

Over the extradition of alleged bookie Sanjeev Chawla from London recently, he said, "The police are investigating the case against him and law will take its own course."

A Delhi court on Thursday put Chawla, a key accused in one of the crickets biggest match-fixing scandals that involved former South Africa captain Hanse Cronje, in a 12-day police custody.

https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...lice-custody-hanse-cronje/article30823876.ece
 
Fans have been clamouring for MS Dhoni’s return to cricket since he took a sabbatical after the ICC World Cup in 2019. It is a known fact that Dhoni’s return will coincide with the Indian Premier League where he will captain Chennai Super Kings in the 2020 season. Ahead of this year’s edition, Dhoni was given a heroes welcome when he arrived in Chennai to begin his preparations for the upcoming edition of the IPL.

The official Twitter handle of the Chennai-based franchise on Monday posted a 59-second video and said: “Every goose shall bump with first day first show feels! Just start the whistles!”

Dhoni will start his preparations for the upcoming edition of the cash-rich league from March 3 in Chennai along with Suresh Raina.

Speaking to IANS, CSK CEO K.S. Viswanathan had said: “Dhoni will reach Chennai on March 2 and will start training the next day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. (Suresh) Raina will also be training with him, but there will be no international player as of now.”

The 1983 World Cup-winning India captain, Kapil Dev was questioned on Dhoni’s inclusion in India squad, and he believes the wicketkeeper-batsman needs to play more games to make a case for himself.

Speaking to reporters at an event in Noida on Thursday, Dev said: “It’s not just Dhoni who is playing the IPL. I am a person who looks for a young player who we can be proud of in the next 10 years. I think Dhoni has already done so much for the country.”

He added: “As his fan, yes (would like to see him playing the T20 World Cup) but as a cricketer, I think it all depends on the management. He hasn’t played for one year. He should play more matches to be on the team. There shouldn’t be different parameters for different players.”

Dev further insisted that he is looking for the next generation of players in the upcoming edition of IPL. “He (Dhoni) is on his last leg. I am his fan so I would love to see him but in IPL I am looking for the next generation,” he said.

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni will start his training in Chennai from March 2 along with other players ahead of season-13 of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The IPL 2020 begins with a match between CSK and defending champion Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on March 29. According to CSK CEO K S Viswanathan, Dhoni will be training with players who are available as the full preparatory camp of the team begins on March 19.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/cric...-2020-watch/story-U5nT39pIzoWzjiH8xYEvGM.html

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The future of Mahendra Singh Dhoni with Team India dominated the headlines during BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting on Wednesday to pick the national selection panel. The Madan Lal-led CAC had a common question for all the shortlisted candidates applying for national selectors post: “what will be your call on Dhoni’s future with the Indian team?”

Five candidates – Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Chauhan, Sunil Joshi and Harvinder Singh were asked a question on Dhoni, who has not played since the ICC Cricket World Cup (2019) semifinal loss to New Zealand in July.

The former India skipper will return to competitive cricket during the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). He will resume his duties for his franchise – Chennai Super Kings in the T20 league, beginning March 29.

“Yes, the CAC had one common question and that was about their call with regards to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and whether they will select him for T20 World Cup,” a senior BCCI official was quoted by PTI.

Eventually, Joshi and Harvinder were named the two new selectors in the five-member panel.

It is understood that the new BCCI regime wants the selection committee to have a clear cut stand on Dhoni’s international future.

“Dhoni is both a sensitive and tricky issue and that’s why the question needed to be asked,” the source added.

A few of the candidates were also asked whether they are ‘only looking at the chairman’s post’ or they would be happy to become just a selector.

While Sivaramakrishnan was a strong candidate, it is learnt that CAC was not sure if he would have been ready to serve only as a selector under the chairman.

As pointed out by Lal himself, Joshi did not have any issues in working with anyone else at the helm. A shuffle in the selection panel is due in September when tenure of Jatin Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh ends.

“We liked his straight forward attitude,” Lal said after the interviews in Mumbai.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...questions-potential-national-selectors-920353
 
Dhoni should have retired after 2019 World Cup: Akhtar

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says he cannot fathom why Mahendra Singh Dhoni has “dragged it for so long” as the right time for the maverick ex-India skipper to call it quits was after last year’s ODI World Cup.

Akhtar said he hopes the 38-year-old Dhoni gets a resounding farewell despite his resolute silence on what the future holds.

“This guy has served to the best of his ability. He should leave cricket with dignity. I don’t know why he dragged it for so long. He should have retired after the World Cup,” Akhtar said.

“If I would have been in his place, I would have hung up my boots. I could have played shorter formats for three-four years but I left (after the 2011 WC) as I wasn’t into the game 100 per cent. So why drag?” he asked.

Dhoni, who has not played a competitive game since the World Cup semifinal in July, was preparing to make a much-anticipated comeback with the IPL, which is now unlikely to take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If he had done well in the IPL, there was a possibility of him playing the T20 World Cup in October-November.

Akhtar believes Dhoni is now in a limbo but deserves a grand send-off despite the anti-climactic turn of events.

“As a country, you should let him go with a lot of respect and dignity. Give him a nice send off. He has won you the World Cup and done wonders for India. He is a wonderful human being at the same time. But right now, he seems to be stuck,” he said.

Akhtar said Dhoni should have ideally retired after last year’s 50-over World Cup.

“When he could not finish the game in the semifinal (against New Zealand), I felt he should have retired but he can only answer why he didn’t,” he said.

“He should have played a farewell series after the World Cup may be and then said goodbye in a manner befitting his great stature.”

Talking about the Indian team’s inability to win a global event since the 2013 Champions Trophy, Akhtar said Virat Kohli’s team needs match-winners in the middle-order.

“Winning tournaments is one thing but staying at top is another. India is still the top-ranked Test team and is almost among the top teams in the limited-overs format. So, we should not base their performance only on their showing in ICC events.

“Of course, they should win ICC events and they have to. This team, when the top four score, they win more often than not. But if they don’t, then it is an issue. Another thing I noticed is that you need a match-winner like Yuvraj (Singh) or Dhoni in the middle-order,” he explained.

“When we toured India in 1998, we always thought we would run through India after getting the top order. There was no match winner until Yuvraj came in, followed by Dhoni.

“Then you started seeing change in results. Right now, the problem is lack of finishers,” opined the 44-year-old.

Akhtar doesn’t see any cricket happening for the next six to eight months as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc around the world.

But if India’s tour of Australia takes place, Akhtar sees all four Tests going down the wire.

India had won their first ever Test series in Australia early last year. But this time, Australia will be a different kettle of fish in the presence of Steve Smith and David Warner, who were serving ball-tampering bans when India toured last.

“Despite the loss in New Zealand, I think India is a very, very good team and can give a tough time to Australia. But again, India have to prove that like they did the last time.

“However, I don’t see that series happening. My assessment is there won’t be any cricket for next one year. The T20 World Cup is not going to happen.

“We are dealing with a pandemic at the moment. Any industry, which requires crowd gathering, is going to suffer,” Akhtar added.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...irus-ipl-2020-virat-kohli/article31321824.ece
 
Only in the sub-continent do you see players becoming these larger than life figures so much so that they can do pretty much anything they want after a certain point. I know Dhoni has done alot for India but this is just obnoxious behavior. The selectors at the very least should not be kept in the dark.
 
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RedwoodOriginal said:
Only in the sub-continent do you see players becoming these larger than life figures so much so that they can do pretty much anything they want after a certain point. I know Dhoni has done alot for India but this is just obnoxious behavior. The selectors at the very least should not be kept in the dark.
Click to expand...

It's like the old saying goes: "$#!% or get off the pot".
 
MS Dhoni, being a hand eye co-ordination player was finished as a batsman after 2013 CT. At max 2015 world cup should have been his last. But not only did he played the 2019 version but he has't retired even after that. Aparently he wants to play T20 WC, a format where he has zero man of the match and only 1 half century. When he was captain..he removed Sachin, Dravid, VVS, Viru, Gambhir etc who were in much better batting form than what MS Dhoni has today. But he does not want to apply the same rule for himself. Hope selectors never select him again and continue to stick with Rishabh Pant.
 
Rajdeep said:
MS Dhoni, being a hand eye co-ordination player was finished as a batsman after 2013 CT. At max 2015 world cup should have been his last. But not only did he played the 2019 version but he has't retired even after that. Aparently he wants to play T20 WC, a format where he has zero man of the match and only 1 half century. When he was captain..he removed Sachin, Dravid, VVS, Viru, Gambhir etc who were in much better batting form than what MS Dhoni has today. But he does not want to apply the same rule for himself. Hope selectors never select him again and continue to stick with Rishabh Pant.
Click to expand...

For someone whos pushed many out when they were past their expiry its puzzling why dhoni is not willing to go himself Clearly theirs better options going forward now

Strange
 
On MS Dhoni’s birthday eve, Waqar Younis lauded Dhoni as the greatest captain while also thanking frontline healthcare staff and doctors including his wife Dr. Faryal Waqar Younis. Pakistani speedster Waqar Younis heaped lavish praise on former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and revealed to fans on GloFans’ chat show ‘Q20’ that Dhoni has indeed done a tremendous job in carrying forward the momentum of the team that started during the era of Sourav Ganguly.

Speaking exclusively to GloFans during ‘Q20’, Waqar Younis said, “Sourav Ganguly was the one who started that journey of improvement for Indian cricket and M.S. Dhoni took that journey ahead. He is a World Cup champion and has won two World Cups. I think he has done wonderfully well for himself, for his country and of course, for his family."

Notably, under the magical leadership of Sourav Ganguly, India reached into the final of 2003 World Cup but failed to cross the final barrier in front of a very strong Australian side. MS Dhoni after taking the reins of the Indian team in the shortest format won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. Four year's later India won the 50-over World Cup to end country's 28-year-long wait for the coveted trophy. MS Dhoni fulfilled the dream Sourav Ganguly had seen and made India the world champions.

Ganguly, who is now the President of the BCCI is regarded as the best captain that Indian cricket has ever produced and it was his captaincy that inculcated a strong winning mentality in the team and the Men in Blue became a force to reckon with outside the country as well. Sourav Ganguly captained India in 146 matches across format and was successful in winning 76 of them. The southpaw had an impressive win percentage of 53.90 during his tenure.

While agreeing to Ganguly’s immense contribution to Indian cricket in a freewheeling chat with fans on GloFans’ official twitter handle, Waqar also confessed that Dhoni as a leader had changed the face of Indian cricket forever and fulfilled his responsibility as a captain par excellence.

“What a cricketer M.S. Dhoni is. The way he led the team, it is difficult to express it in words. He is a very good and big leader who understands things. He is a wonderful human being and coming from a small village and the heights he has achieved plus leading such a big country and team is indeed praiseworthy” Waqar further added.

Notably, MS Dhoni had captained India in 200 matches across formats. With a win percentage of 59.52, Dhoni won 110 matches in his captaincy. The 38-year-old also holds the record for captaining in most number of matches for India.

Dhoni who is currently on a sabbatical from international cricket will lead the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League once again this year. The Jharkhand based wicketkeeper batsman will turn 39 on July 7th.

Dhoni has now passed on the baton to Virat Kohli who according to Waqar is another fierce competitor of the game and is doing a great job both as a captain and player and his determination when it comes to being fit is the main attribute that sets him apart from his contemporaries.

“Virat Kohli has evolved the game and all the formats of the modern-day cricket including T20 Cricket, one day suits him a lot and he is brilliant at test matches. But the biggest difference he brought to Cricket that is followed and watched worldwide is his fitness. He has set a bar of fitness worldwide, for players, I think it is hard to beat. I think for that reason also, you like everything about Virat Kohli. He is fit, he is always in your face, he wants to prove you that he is the best, he is a fighter, so that is why, we all like him,” Waqar said responding to fans question on ‘Q20’.

Kohli in his 89 matches as the captain of Team India has the best win percentage. With his aggressive style of captaincy the Delhi batsman has won 62 matches across formats and lost just 24. He had also become the first Indian captain to register a Test series win in Australia. His performance as a captain and batsman in the upcoming 4-match Test series in Australia will further enhance his stature.

Answering to another fan question during GloFans ‘Q20’ chat show regarding Pakistan’s woeful record against India in the World Cups, Waqar said, “Over the last few World Cups, Pakistan have not won against India. We did well in other formats, we did well in Test matches, but when it comes to World Cups and ODI Cricket, India has always had an upper hand on us. And they deserve it. I think they played better cricket than us,” he commented.

“I remember in Bangalore and back in I think that was in Pretoria in 2003. I remember most of them and I think I have played a couple of them. So they were a very good side and I think on that particular day they just came out with a very positive frame of mind, they played better cricket and played smartly. We did not play smartly; we had games in our hands. If you look at the World Cup in 2011 and then of course back in ’96 also we had the game in our hand, but it is just, we we just threw it away. It is hard to pinpoint why we do that, maybe, it’s just the pressure of the World Cup now because it happens so many times, it is just the psychological pressure on us that we just cannot really win against them but yeah, it’s very-very difficult to pinpoint on one thing,” Waqar concluded.

India have defeated Pakistan on all the 7 occasions in a 50-over World Cup. When it comes to T20 World Cup, India have again beaten Pakistan in 5 out of the 5 matches played between the arch-rivals.

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cr...-fitness-india-vs-pakistan-1697539-2020-07-06
 
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Happy Birthday to MS Dhoni - 39 years old today.
 
Happy Birthday to one of the Greatest LOI captains of the game.
 
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