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.

Not 7oday. 🦁💛

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) September 12, 2019

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.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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