MS Dhoni announces retirement from international cricket MS Dhoni, Indian cricketer 2020
MS Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Dhoni made the confirmation through a video on Instagram, its caption reading: “Thanks. Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. From 1929 hrs consider me as Retired.”
Dhoni retires as Indian cricket’s most successful captain in limited-over internationals, having won three ICC trophies - 2007 T20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup in 2011 and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He last played international cricket during the semifinal of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in which India lost to New Zealand.
Having announced his retirement from Test cricket in December of 2014, Dhoni carried on playing ODIs and T20Is, leading India to the semifinals of the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 World T20. With 10,733 runs from 350 matches, Dhoni is fifth in the list of India’s all-time run-scorers in ODI behind Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
Dhoni’s future was a hot topic of speculation since his sabbatical from cricket since India’s World Cup exit. Ever since the defeat to New Zealand, Dhoni did not play any form of cricket in the last one year, hinting he might have played his last in India colours. Dhoni, however, would be turning up in the IPL where he will captain the Chennai Super Kings in the tournament’s 13th season in the UAE.
Dhoni burst on to the scene as a 23-year-old batsman, making his India debut in an ODI against Bangladesh in December of 2004. The following year, he slammed his maiden ODI hundred - 148 vs Pakistan at Vizag which shot him to prominence. After a disappointing 2007 World Cup in the West Indies, Dhoni was given charge of a young Indian team to play the first-ever T20 World Cup in South Africa, where India beat Pakistan in a riveting final to clinch the title.
From there, Dhoni’s career as batsman and captain took off and reached unprecedented heights. In March of 2008, he led India to the CB tri-series win in Australia, beating the hosts in back-to-back finals. In 2009, he shepherded India to the pinnacle of ICC Test Championships, establishing him as India’s best captain in a long time. He overtook Sourav Ganguly as India’s most successful Test captain with a 22nd win.
In 2010, under Dhoni, India won the Asia Cup, after 15 years, beating Sri Lanka comprehensively in the final. It was the perfect way to warm up for what was to come next. With the World Cup returning to India after 16 years, India were hot favourites to lift the most prized trophy in cricket after 28 years, and with Dhoni leading his men, India did just that. Struggling for runs in the tournament, Dhoni saved his best of last. He hit an unbeaten 91, to help India chase down 275 against Sri Lanka, and scored the winning run with a six, which remains perhaps the most iconic moment in the history of Indian cricket.
Post the World Cup, Dhoni’s captaincy prowess, in Test matches, began waning. India were blanked 0-5 in England and 0-4 a few months later in Australia. But Dhoni revived his captaincy career by leading India to the ICC Champions Trophy win in 2013 in England, and thus completing the a trifecta of ICC trophies. Dhoni took India close to three more world titles, but couldn’t quite lead the team over the line. India finished runner-up in the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh, followed by a semi-final finish in the 2015 World Cup and 2016 World T20.
In January of 2017, Dhoni announced he was stepping down as India’s limited-overs captain, but continues playing on. Dhoni was a pivotal part of India’s 2019 World Cup campaign, where in the crunch semifinal clash against New Zealand, which was a two-day affair, he almost got India home. He was out for 50. He walked off the field without showing much emotions, a trait that became synonymous with Dhoni throughout his career, and on August 15, announced his retirement with a video montage.
Comments
Post a Comment