India cricketer KL Rahul said he was shocked and heartbroken after MS Dhoni bid farewell to international cricket on August 15. Dhoni announced his retirement on Instagram by posting a short video, capturing significant moments of his 16-year long and illustrious career.
The 39-year-old won’t be playing anymore for Team India, but numerous records he scripted in his playing career will surely outlive the man himself. He is still the only captain in the history of the game to have won three major ICC trophies – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
Rahul, who made his ODI debut under the leadership of Dhoni, remarked that the whole team wanted to give a grand farewell to the former skipper, but it couldn’t happen.
“It was quite shocking. I was honestly heartbroken. I’m sure all of us in the team or whoever has played under him and with him would have wanted to give him a big send-off and wanted him to play one more time so we could have had that opportunity to do something special for him. It is what it is,” Rahul was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The Mangalore-born heaped praise on Dhoni and said that the latter was always ready to back youngsters in the team.
“He has been someone who has guided us all really, really well. And who has never expected us to change who we are. He has let us go out there and express ourselves and make our mistakes and learn from them. He has just let us be,” he added.
“Words fall short, man. Even the other day when I was trying (to write on Dhoni retiring) on Instagram or Twitter… I mean, what do you say about somebody like that? You don’t have enough to say about how much he has done and how many lives he has changed and for how many people he is an inspiration – not just on the field but off the field [as well] with the things he has achieved. It is phenomenal,” concluded Rahul.
