Is this the end of Dhoni in world cricket? The BCCI announced the annual player retainership for the year 2020-21 for the senior mens team and the most prominent name missing from the list was of former World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Dhoni last played a Test match in December 2014; his last T20 game was in February 2019; and his last One-Day International was the World Cup semifinal in July 2019. By virtue of not having played any cricket for the country for close to six months now, he could not have been considered for a central contract.
Remember, India coach Ravi Shastri had said a call on Dhoni would be taken after the Indian Premier League where Dhoni will lead Chennai Super Kings. However, Harbhajan said if Dhoni had an excellent time in the IPL, his selection will depend on Rishabh Pant’s form and his own willingness to play. Dhoni’s ‘competitors’ are practically down to two players – Pant and Rahul.
Interestingly, Dhoni began practicing with the Jharkhand Ranji Trophy squad amid fresh speculation on his future. He left ODI captaincy a couple of years before the World Cup 2019 too, once again allowing Kohli to settle into the role.
In all likelihood, he has played his last ODI as well, and there can’t be too many complaints about that timing. The current scenario works well for both parties. Dhoni can test his form and fitness at the IPL with Chennai Super Kings.