Former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday. "Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. from 1929hrs consider me as retired (sic)," the two-time World Cup-winning captain posted on Instagram.
The 39-year-old will, however, compete in this year's IPL, which gets underway in the UAE from September 19 after being moved out of India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement came a day after he joined his Chennai Super Kings teammates at the side's home base for a short training camp ahead of the departure to the UAE next week.
MS Dhoni's career has been nothing short of legendary. Sadly, there isn't any device to measure its impact on the lives of his fans.
During his sprawling career, the former captain is also credited to build a formidable team.
Here are the five cricketers who were groomed by MS Dhoni:
1. Suresh Raina:
Suresh Raina was always MS Dhoni's right-hand man, be it in international cricket or the IPL. The two were quick as lightning between the wickets and their record batting together is unbelievable. Interestingly, Raina also chose to hang his boots on the same day. "It was nothing but lovely playing with you, @mahi7781. With my heart full of pride, I choose to join you in this journey," Raina wrote on Instagram.
2. Ravindra Jadeja:
The all-rounder improved leaps and bounds under MS Dhoni's captaincy. Largely seen as a limited-overs player earlier, it was MS Dhoni who gave Jadeja a break in Test cricket. "Elder brother, mentor, captain and above all a legend of the game. Learnt so much from you skipper. The game will miss you #legend," Jadeja tweeted.
3. Ravichandran Ashwin:
Ravichandran Ashwin, another CSK player, became the world's best spinner under MS Dhoni's leadership. Dhoni always trusted Ashwin's variations which deceived many batsmen. He even entrusted Ashwin to bowl the last over of 2013 Champions Trophy final.
Ashwin took to Twitter and wrote, "The legend retires in his own style as always, @msdhoni bhai you have given it all for the country. The champions trophy triumph, 2011 World Cup and the glorious @ChennaiIPL triumphs will always be etched in my memory. Good luck for all your future endeavours. #MSDhoni"
4. Rohit Sharma:
Rohit Sharma's turnaround from 'talented' to 'reliable' has to be credited to MS Dhoni. Sharma was a middle-order batsman for the large part of his career when Dhoni asked him to open the innings and rest is history. The Mumbai lad is now seen as one of the greatest limited-overs batsmen the country has ever seen.
Rohit tweeted, "One of the most influential man in the history of Indian cricket. His impact in & around cricket was massive. He was a man with vision and a master in knowing how to build a team. Will surely miss him in blue but we have him in yellow. See you on 19th at the toss @msdhoni."
5. Virat Kohli:
It was MS Dhoni who gave Virat Kohli an opportunity to bat at number 3 when he had just entered the side. When Virat Kohli was going through a rough patch in 2012, Dhoni backed Kohli and urged the selectors to retain him for the Australia tour. More recently, Dhoni's on-field calmness has also rubbed on Kohli and one can witness a more mature Indian captain.
After Dhoni's retirement, Kohli penned an emotional note. He wrote, "Every cricketer has to end his journey one day, but still when someone you've gotten to know so closely announces that decision, you feel the emotion much more. What you've done for the country will always remain in everyone's heart, but the mutual respect and warmth I've received from you will always stay in mine. The world has seen achievements, I've seen the person. Thanks for everything skip. I tip my hat to you @mahi7781."
