Published 10:04 IST, September 30th 2019
MS Dhoni: Future unclear, will anyone be able to fill his gloves?
MS Dhoni is regarded as one of India's best wicketkeeper of all time. However, fans and ex-cricketers continue to call for his retirement after India's WC exit
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From rocking long locks as a youngster to collecting trophies as an Indian captain, the story behind MS Dhoni’s rise in international cricket is one for the ages. Ever since his call-up to the international stage, Dhoni has been registering his name in the record books and has already decorated Indian cricket’s trophy cabinet with some of the game’s biggest prizes. In his first six years of captaincy itself, MS Dhoni led the Indian team to a historic inaugural T20 World Cup victory, a 2011 World Cup win, 2013’s Champions Trophy in England, No 1 Test ranking and many overseas series wins.
Will India ever get another MS Dhoni? Divided opinions
His successful captaincy approach, his quick-fire finishing knocks and his ability behind the stumps won India more matches and trophies than any other captain before. However, sport can be cruel at times. On multiple occasions, fans would rather blame an icon for the entire team’s downfall instead of remembering everything he did for the country. As Team India gear up for the upcoming Freedom Trophy series against South Africa just a few months after the disappointing semi-final exit from the World Cup, fans and ex-cricketers continue to voice their own opinions about MS Dhoni's future. While some think Dhoni should hang up his boots and pass the keeper’s baton to youngster Rishabh Pant, there are also some who think MS Dhoni's presence in the team is invaluable.
Ex-keeper Syed Kirmani on MS Dhoni
In a time when the entire nation is divided over MS Dhoni’s future, the 2011 World Cup-winning captain has found support from another legendary World Cup-winning keeper Syed Kirmani. As per Kirmani, MS Dhoni’s captaincy has taken the Indian team to the highest level in all three formats of the game and his retirement should be his own decision. Kirmani also added that MS Dhoni is a big role model for young Indian cricketers and he still has few more years of competitive cricket left in him. Kirmani, an 88-Test veteran, was himself a crucial member of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team and is often hailed as one of the greatest Indian wicketkeepers of all time.
MS Dhoni’s future
Whether will we get another Dhoni or not remains to be seen. However, by winning the cricket’s biggest prizes as a leader along with reaching the incredible 10,000 scale in ODI’s as an individual, MS Dhoni's presence in the Indian team has been one of the most impactful and successful in history. As MS Dhoni continues to serve Indian cricket and sets his eyes on next year’s ICC World T20 in Australia, the right-handed batsman could continue to guide a group of young wolves into a brighter future.
02:34 IST, September 30th 2019