Former Indian pacer, Ashish Nehra has opened up about the cricketing career of MS Dhoni. He feels that Dhoni will not play for team India again, although Dhoni has not announced his retirement officially.
Recently, in an interaction on the Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, Ashish Nehra mentioned that the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, will not make any significant effect on MS Dhoni’s career. Talking about the same, he said:
“As far as MS Dhoni’s international career is concerned, I don’t think this IPL has anything to do with it.”
But he feels that if MS Dhoni makes himself available, he will be the first one to be picked by the selectors. He said:
“If you are a selector, captain or coach, then MS Dhoni, the most important player, if he is ready to play he will be my No. 1 name on the list.”
MS Dhoni was last seen playing for Indian in the semi-final of World Cup 2019 against New Zealand. During the match, he was run out by a direct throw from Martin Guptill with a score of 50 runs. With his dismissal, India’s hopes for winning the World Cup also ended as team India lost the match by 18 runs.
As per Ashish Nehra, the semi-final of the World Cup was the last match of MS Dhoni’s international career. He feels that MS Dhoni has made up his mind to not play international games anymore. He said:
“As much as I know MS Dhoni, I think he has played his last game for India happily. MS Dhoni has nothing to prove and we all discuss these things as part of the media because he has not announced his retirement. I think he will take the call, only he can tell what is in his head.”
He added:
“But for me, MS Dhoni’s game never came down. We have discussed this earlier also that till the last game he played, India had hope to reach the World Cup final till the time MS Dhoni was there. The minute he got run out, everybody’s hopes were gone. So, it shows where his game was even at that time. He knows how to run the team, he knows how to push youngsters forward.”
Ashish Nehra also feels that IPL won’t make any difference in Dhoni’s stature or his aura as a player. He feels IPL won’t be the selection criteria for the selection of Dhoni in team India. He said:
“All those things, I don’t need to repeat again and again but I don’t think this IPL makes any difference in MS Dhoni’s stature, his aura as a player and I don’t think so a tournament like IPL should be MS Dhoni’s selection criteria. It is just a talking point, may be”
Meanwhile, MS Dhoni will be seen leading his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
