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Dhoni, who debuted in 2004 under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, is among the most celebrated players in India. He made his one day international (ODI) debut against Bangladesh in 2004 and got out for a duck.
Saurav Ganguly ended the uncertainty by ruling out Dhoni’s retirement.
Dhoni hasn’t appeared in any match for over six months i.e ever since India lost to New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final.
Rumours of his retirement gained ground after the BCCI dropped his name from the list of annual contracts.
“Dhoni finishes off in style,” the commentator Ravi Shastri yelled when the then Indian cricket captain hit the winning six that got India the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011, an iconic moment etched in the memories of Indian cricket fans forever.
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However, as it seemed earlier in the day, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s exit from international cricket could have been far less flamboyant. The 38-year old cricketer from Ranchi was dropped from the BCCI's list of annual contracts, which many saw as the end of Dhoni’s career.
But Dhoni may not be retiring. The contract drop might be a strategic shift in his career. Currently, Dhoni is with the Jharkhand Ranji Trophy squad in Ranchi.
Dhoni hasn’t appeared in any match for over six months, ever since India lost to New Zealand in the semi-final of the World Cup 2019. Amidst rumours of his retirement, team India’s head coach Ravi Shastri recently gave Dhoni fans a ray of hope when he said Dhoni may be able to play World T20 this year if he performs well in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Without a BCCI contract, Dhoni may be picked as a freelancer— someone who is paid for a match or a series— but he will not be the permanent fixture his fans would want him to be.
Dhoni, who debuted in 2004 under Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, is among the most celebrated players in India. He made his one day international (ODI) debut against Bangladesh in 2004 and got out for a duck.
But Dhoni didn’t struggle for too long. In April 2005, the 23-year old Dhoni smashed an impressive 148 against Pakistan in Visakhapatnam, the highest score by any wicket keeper from India at the time.
The first big win
India’s win in the 2007 T20 World cup was the highest point in Dhoni’s captaincy at the time. This was India’s first international title since 1984. This was a huge achievement for Dhoni who became captain at the inaugural ceremony of the game.
The next one was even bigger
India did not have to wait too long for the next big moment. Dhoni led the team to an unforgettable victory in 2011 one day international World Cup— becoming the second Indian captain after Kapil Dev to bag the coveted honour.
And the trophies piled on…
In 2013, India won the Champions Trophy held in England and WalesIndia remained on the number one spot on ICC ODI rankings between 2009 and 2011 under Dhoni’s leadership.
An unlikely scalp
Dhoni will forever be remembered as a solid wicketkeeper and swashbuckling batsman. However, he had a high point as a bowler too. The 2013 ICC Champion trophy, Dhoni bowled for the second time in his entire ODI career — the first time was way back in 2009.
But when he did, he claimed the wicket of West Indies’ Travis Dowlin giving India the much needed push for winning the match.
A career to remember
In the 15 long years, Dhoni has scored 17266 runs across all formats of cricket. He participated in 90 Tests, 98 T20 Internationals, 350 ODIs in his 15 years long career.
While his record in test cricket has been relatively less fruitful for India— with just 27 wins in over 60 matches as a captain in the longer format of the game— he still remains one of India’s most successful test captains.