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MS Dhoni became India‘s white-ball captain in 2007 before becoming the all-format skipper the following year. He led the team to surreal heights during his captaincy tenure. Under his astute leadership, the Men in Blue won the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
During Dhoni’s captaincy, India became the No. 1 Test team for the first time back in 2009. However, the iconic cricketer caught the cricket fraternity off guard as he announced his retirement after playing the third Test versus Australia in Melbourne in December 2014.
Dhoni’s decision shook fans all over the world, and now, almost a decade later, the wicketkeeper-batter opened up about the reason behind his retirement.
MS Dhoni discloses the motive behind his retirement from Test cricket
While talking at a public forum, Dhoni revealed that he wanted to spend more time with his family, prompting him to bid farewell to red-ball cricket.
He explained that in international cricket, especially after being a part of the Indian team for an extended period, one often longs for more time with family. Dhoni further elaborated that until 2015, he actively participated in all formats of the game and had minimal time at home between series. The Ranchi-born mentioned that even during short breaks, he would have to travel to various venues, which consumed additional days. Amidst these commitments, there were also endorsement obligations. So, from 2015 onwards, the former Indian skipper realized he wanted to allocate more time for family. Dhoni also noted that his parents were ageing, and he couldn’t spend much time with his wife after marriage.
“I think when you play international cricket, especially being part of the Indian team for a very long time, what you miss a lot is the family time. So, till 2015, I was playing all the formats. I was barely home in between, the series will get like five days, six days off, where if you have to report to some other venue, it takes you another couple of days you go to Ranchi, then come back. So. And in between whatever endorsement work you have to do. So, from 2015 onwards, I realized I actually want to spend a bit more time with the family. You know, parents are ageing then, you get married, but you’re not able to spend a lot of time with your wife. And at the same time, if you have a kid, they’re also growing up,” said Dhoni as quoted by News 18.
Also READ: MS Dhoni’s farewell? IPL honours CSK veteran with a touching tribute video
Dhoni’s record in Test Cricket
In his 90 Test appearances, Dhoni amassed 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 and a strike rate of 59.11, including 6 centuries and 33 half-centuries. His highest score of 224 was achieved against Australia in 2013 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The 42-year-old once held the record for the most wins as captain in Tests, leading India to victory in 27 out of 60 matches. However, in 2019, Virat Kohli surpassed him to become India’s most successful Test captain.
