Ending a year-long suspense, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday night. One of the most selfless cricketers that the country has produced, the 39-year-old called time on his career on Independence Day without any fanfare.
It was typical of the man from Ranchi who played the game his own way. Right from the moment he smashed 148 against Pakistan in a one-dayer in 2005 till he was run out by a brilliant direct hit by Martin Guptill in the semifinal of the ICC World Cup against New Zealand last year, Dhoni has been the embodiment of unorthodoxy and improvisation.
For a generation of Indian fans who were in awe of the batting skills of other teams’ wicketkeepers the arrival of Dhoni changed it all. Finally, India had a stumper who could stun the opposition with his flamboyant batting and supreme self-confidence. He possessed one of the shrewdest brains on a cricket field and it helped him to a great extent in the high-pressure world of international cricket for one-and-a-half decade. Dhoni, who captained Team India for close to a decade since the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, always backed his instincts and was known for his calm and collective approach as a leader.
From being a ticket examiner at Kharagpur railway station to lifting the World Cup at the Wankhede, Dhoni's journey in international cricket was nothing less than a fairytale. He is the lone captain to win all three ICC trophies – 2007 World T20, 2011 ICC World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. He also guided India to the top of the ICC Test rankings. In a team filled with superstars he commanded immense respect for the sheer workload he shouldered and the rare ability to finish matches in the shorter versions of the game.
From November, 2008, till he quit Test cricket in December, 2014, Dhoni led India in all three formats of the game. The wicketkeeping duties and his role as a key batsman in addition to the pressures of captaincy would have taken its toll on a lesser individual. Dhoni was naturally fit and seldom missed a game due to fitness issues. Realising that his swashbuckling batting style won’t prolong his international career, Dhoni transformed his game to remain India’s No. 1 choice stumper. He made rapid strides as a wicketkeeper and his glovework, especially stumpings, was top-class.
Dhoni played 90 Tests in which he amassed 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09. He also featured in 350 ODIs and scored 10,773 runs at an average of 50.6 and a strike rate of 87.6. In T20Is, he made 1,617 runs in 98 matches at a strike rate of 126.1.
He’s also India’s most successful wicketkeeper of all time with a total of 195 stumpings and 634 catches in international matches.
There is no denying that Dhoni’s batting was on the wane in the last couple of years of his career. He was not able to produce the big hits at will. However, his work behind the stumps and tactical inputs made him a key player in captain Virat Kohli's and head coach Ravi Shastri’s scheme of things.
The past one year has given the Indian team and supporters what will be in store in the post-Dhoni era. Rishabh Pant has failed to cement his place in the team. There will be stopgap solutions like making K L Rahul don the big gloves in the shorter versions of the game. It will be an understatement that Dhoni will be missed for he was truly special and his exit leaves a huge gap.
