MS Dhoni retirement news: 3 reasons why Dhoni should retire from international cricket now

MS Dhoni retirement news: There have been speculations of the legendary Indian cricketer hanging his boots in a press conference tonight.

Former India captain and current wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni did the rounds in the Indian media today after there were reports of him appearing in a press conference tonight to announce his retirement from international cricket.

The 38-year old cricketer had last played during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Dhoni subsequently missed the recently concluded India’s tour of West Indies due to his training for the parachute regiment of the Indian Army in Kashmir valley.

His absence from these series was a further indication of the aforementioned reports holding true. However, chief selector MSK Prasad and Sakshi Dhoni were seen speaking against the speculations. While Prasad spoke to reporters after announcing India’s Test squad for South Africa series, Dhoni’s wife took to her social media accounts.

It is clear that Dhoni won’t attend any press conference today. However, with India scheduled to play ODIs in December now, it might just be the right time for the legendary cricketer to bid adieu to international cricket in the days to come.

MS Dhoni retirement news: 3 reasons why Dhoni should retire now

1) No more the player he once used to be

Having scored 273 runs in nine ODIs at an average of 45.50 and a strike rate of 87.78 including two half-centuries in the World Cup, Dhoni had performed decently in the World Cup. However, it is his role which is raising the questions on his craft.

Having won India matches at will during his prime, the veteran cricketer fails to do the same these days. While he manages to hang around and score runs, his strike rate generally becomes an issue both for him and the team. With the team management persistent to play him as a finisher, things don’t seem to improve for Dhoni.

One can argue that Dhoni’s 600 ODI runs this year have come at an average of 60 and a strike rate of 82.30. The strike rate might not be problematic in the overall picture but it is surely low for a contemporary finisher.

2) Youngsters deserve more opportunities

There won’t be much wrong if Dhoni plays a series or two before retiring. That being said, it will do nothing but deny a rookie wicket-keeper batsman of a place in the national team. With the ODI World Cup done and dusted now and the T20 World Cup a year away, this is perhaps the right time to find someone who can fill Dhoni’s shoes.

While Rishabh Pant has shown signs of brilliance in his brief career so far, he doubtlessly needs more time when it comes to cementing his place in the Indian team across formats.

Considering how well Dhoni made the wicket-keeper’s spot of his own for so many years, a disadvantage of the same was others didn’t get many opportunities with him being in the side. Currently, other young wicket-keepers like Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson have done well in the domestic circuit but will need time to excel at the highest level.

In the year leading up to the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, India can try these names to assess who fits best in the scheme of things for them.

3) Can end on a high note

If Dhoni doesn’t play any more matches for India, his last memory would be of him trying hard to seal a difficult chase for India. Batting in the semi-final of the World Cup against New Zealand, Dhoni had scored 50 (72) with the help of a four and six each after coming in to bat at 71/5 in the 23rd over.

Had it not been a near-unbelievable run-out from Martin Guptill, things would have been different (and better) for the Indian team today. An immediate retirement will surely allow Dhoni to retire after scoring his 73rd ODI half-century in a World Cup semi-final and not featuring in any farewell series.