In a rare public message, MS Dhoni did what he usually does: he shocked the world. Manoj Narayan looks at the retirement of an Indian titan, and finds a rare hint of emotion.
And so, it finally happened. Well over a year after everyone thought it would, but when it did, the shock was real. It was classic Dhoni.
As retirement announcements go, this was off script. When you’re as seminal a figure as Dhoni, PR guidelines suggest you don’t just call it quits with a nonchalant post on social media. But Dhoni has never really cared much for PR or convention. It just had to be like this.
India’s most successful captain kept it simple. He thanked his fans for all the love and support over the years, and cryptically added: From 19:29 hours, consider me retired. Along with the message came a slideshow – a no-frills, basic video that had photographs charting Dhoni’s international career, with Mein Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon, a song from the 1976 Amitabh Bachchan movie Kabhie Kabhie, making the soundtrack. And that was that.
What followed was confusion. Was Dhoni’s account hacked? Is this ‘legit’? Does he mean international cricket? Is he not going to play the IPL either? Dhoni’s mischievous sense of humour has often been spoken about by those who have worked and played with him, and it’s not hard to imagine the man having a quiet laugh at the fallout from his video. That said, it’s just as possible that he doesn’t give two hoots. With Dhoni, you can never tell.
View this post on Instagram
Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired
Throughout his career, Dhoni has built a reputation for being unaffected by emotion. He’s all logic and rationale, devoid of the sentimental outbursts that affect most other players in the heat of a contest. He steered clear of sentiment when he abruptly announced his Test retirement in 2014, through a simple press release after the third Test in Australia. It was all matter of fact when he handed over the limited-overs captaincy to Virat Kohli in 2017. Even after some victories at major events, his celebrations were understated: a smile, maybe a stump as a souvenir, some jokes with team-mates.
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It is a big part of why this announcement, with that video on Instagram, was confusing. Once you get past the raw editing and the rough handywork, you realise it is full of emotion. And that’s not something you expect from Dhoni. The pictures in the slideshow have meaning. They’re moments that seemingly mean something to Dhoni. From that seismic T20 World Cup triumph in 2007, the glory of the 2011 World Cup win, cherished memories with former captains and mentors – Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganugly, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar – to partnerships with his successor Virat Kohli.
You watch it a few times, and you realise the pictures linger on screen towards the end of the video, particularly the bits surrounding India’s loss in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, where Dhoni’s run-out for a 72-ball 50 effectively set New Zealand on the way to the final. The screengrab of Dhoni walking back lingered the most. Maybe at some level, the loss – and all that criticism – had an effect on Dhoni more than any before in his long career. And, perhaps, it still hurts.
What will you miss the most about #Dhoni in blue? #MSDRetires pic.twitter.com/s0DDNMV5Iy
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) August 15, 2020
It was an open secret that Dhoni wanted a tilt at the T20 World Cup 2020, and was hoping to work himself back into contention through the IPL. He was in Chennai well ahead of schedule for a pre-tournament camp with Chennai Super Kings earlier this year, and those who were at the camp have since spoken of how well he was hitting it, how determined he was.
However, with Covid-19’s intervention, the T20 World Cup had to be postponed – the next edition will be at home in 2021, and let’s just wonder for a second what a conventionally approved way it would have been for the legend to sign off after that, with a potential trophy in hand in front of his adoring crowd.
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But not Dhoni. He will be 40 by the time that tournament comes around, and for all the age-defying he has done, this was too much even for him.
And so, just like that, he called it quits, in his own, unadulterated style. And, on the bright side, it’s not a complete stop, not yet. He will continue leading CSK at the IPL – according to ESPNcricinfo, the franchise officials expect him to play the tournament till 2022 at the very least – and we can still potentially experience the thrill of Dhoni taking things to very last over, and mentally disintegrate bowlers without saying a word.
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MS Dhoni, and everyone surrounding him, will finally get some much-needed closure[/caption]
It’s good this way. He can now dedicate himself to the IPL, without the unnecessary pressure of having to prove his readiness to play the T20 World Cup. The commentators will heave a sigh of relief: They will not have to speculate on his future anymore at the risk of theirs, they can freely celebrate him, which you get the feeling they are happy to do. Some in the BCCI will be quietly pleased as well, with it no longer their concern to maintain the delicate balance between saying too little and too much on Dhoni’s future. They won’t have to deal with the uncertainty anymore. As for CSK, they will be delighted having their talisman all to themselves.
Most importantly, you get the feeling Dhoni will feel a sense of ease too. For too long now, he’s been a source of contention for the followers of the Indian game, to the extent his mind-boggling achievements were being overlooked in all the cynicism. Much before the 2019 World Cup, there were questions over Dhoni’s strike-rate, his ability to finish games like he used to, and the basis on which he was being selected for the World Cup. Those questions only increased after the tournament, when critics blamed Dhoni for failing to see through the chase in that semi-final. It didn’t help that there was no clear update from the BCCI or Dhoni himself thereafter.
Now it’s here. And with it comes closure, for everyone concerned, but for Dhoni most of all. It’s time now to celebrate him again.
