Published 11:18 IST, August 16th 2020
'A golden era': MS Dhoni biopic producer breaks down the precise manner of his retirement
Arun Pandey remarked that Dhoni never focused on individual goals and his decision to retire was also made to give others a chance to go forward
After MS Dhoni announced his retirement from International Cricket on Saturday, producer of his biopic 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' Arun Pandey bid his farewell to the former India skipper calling it an 'emotional moment' for everyone. While talking about Dhoni, Arun Pandey remarked that Dhoni never focused on individual goals and his decision to retire was also made to give others a chance to go forward.
"It is a very emotional moment for everyone as well as for me. We should respect his decision. He always used to take decisions as per the requirement of his team and country. He never thinks about individual goals. He retired to give a chance to others. For him, success was always making teammates happy and his fans happy," Pandey told ANI.
'Treated everyone well'
Pandey further stated that he saw no change in Dhoni's personality since his debut in 2004, adding that he always treated his friends and acquaintances with respect on-field and off-field. "Before 2004, when he debuted for the Indian team and after that year there was no change in him as a person. For him, having leadership responsibility was just inside the ground. After the game was over, his job was over and he treated his friends and acquaintances off the field well," said Pandey.
"We feel proud of the fact that he represented the country. He has left a legacy and built the team in such a way that even in his absence, the national team would continue doing well. Dhoni's thought has always been that he raised the standard of performances of others," he added.
Arun Pandey said that Dhoni's sole focus was to motivate others, a reason why he did not think of a farewell game before his retirement. "He posted a song along with the information that he retired which says 'Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon'. The song says that today he is there but tomorrow there will be someone else. It was a golden era in which Dhoni played. He won the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC ODI World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013. We will keep on celebrating his achievements," he added
MS Dhoni announces retirement
Ending the 16-year-old legacy, MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday. He also took to social media and shared a compilation of his cricketing journey with Amitabh Bachchan's 'Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon' from the movie Kabhie Kabhie (1976) as the background song.
Hailing from Ranchi, MS Dhoni made his debut in 2004 against Bangladesh and then went on to lead the 'Men in Blue' to bag the ICC 2011 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, and the 2007 T20 World Cup. MS Dhoni wrote, “Thanks a lot for your love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.”
However, Dhoni will lead the Chennai Supre Kings in the upcoming IPL 2020 which has been moved to the UAE due to the COVID pandemic. The skipper is currently in Chennai for a camp with his teammates before the Men in Yellow board the flight to the Middle East. The Lions are expected to travel on August 21, as per reports.
Updated 11:19 IST, August 16th 2020