Two-time World Cup winning India captain MS Dhoni might “soon retire from ODI cricket”, head coach Ravi Shastri has revealed.
“I have had a conversation with MS, and that is between us. He has finished his Test career; he may soon end his ODI career… In all probability, he will finish one-day cricket,” Shastri said while speaking to CNN News18.
“People must respect that h’s played non-stop in all formats of the game for a while.
“At his age, probably the only format he’ll want to play is T20 cricket, which means he’ll have to start playing again, get back into the groove because he’s going to play in the IPL and see how his body reacts.”
Shastri reiterated that the 38-year-old veteran stumper could still be a contender for the T20 World Cup if he performs well in the upcoming IPL.
“.. So he will be left with T20, he will definitely play the IPL. One thing I know about Dhoni is that he will not impose himself on the team. But if he has a cracking IPL, well, then…”
Dhoni last played for India in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, where he was run out following a half-century.
The coach further said form and experience would be taken into consideration while selecting the team for the shortest format’s biggest event.
“We will have to consider the person’s experience and form. They will bat in the number 5-6 position. If Dhoni plays well in the IPL, then he does put himself in contention.”
Dhoni, who is currently on a sabbatical, has represented his country in 350 ODIs, 90 Tests and 98 T20Is while effecting a record 829 dismissals behind the stumps.
Also, he is the only captain in the cricket history to win all the three ICC tournaments – T20 World Cup, ODI World Cup, and the Champions Trophy.
