The former captain of the Indian cricket team MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, ending over one year of suspense and also an era during which his often unorthodox leadership and finishing skills became the stuff of legends.
The 39-year-old will, however, compete in this year's IPL, which commences in the UAE from September 19.
Throughout his career, Dhoni also became famous for his art of giving it back to his critics and media whenever they tried to come down hard on him. According to a report by Times Now, one such incident took place during a press conference in 2016. During the conference, an Australian journalist asked Dhoni whether he would consider retirement from cricket after Indian team crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2016 following a defeat against West Indies in the semi-final.
As per the report, Dhoni called the journalist on the stage. He then asked the journalist, 'Do you want to retire?' To which the Australian journalist said no. Later, Dhoni asked the journalist whether he (Dhoni) was fit, to which the journalist said yes. The former Indian skipper then asked the journalist whether he (Dhoni) could run fast between the wickets. The journalist said yes. Dhoni then sent the journalist back, with his answer of course—without directly giving one!
The two-time World Cup-winning former captain retired from international cricket on Saturday. Taking to Instagram, the wicketkeeper-batsman shared a video and captioned the post, "Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired."
The video had the iconic song 'Mai Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hu' from Amitabh Bachchan's 'Kabhie Kabhie' playing in the background. Dhoni shared his incredible journey in the Indian side including his run out in the last game against New Zealand in the World Cup 2019 semifinal.
For over a decade, Dhoni's batting style, especially the famed helicopter shot, gave international bowlers a headache. Under Dhoni's leadership, India managed to attain number one ranking in Test cricket. His Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has won the tournament thrice under his leadership.
Dhoni was slated to return to the cricket field on March 29 during the IPL's opening match between CSK and Mumbai Indians. However, owing to the coronavirus pandemic in India, the tournament is being played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10. He will continue to captain CSK in the IPL 2020.
