The contribution of legendary Indian cricketer, MS Dhoni’s childhood coach, Keshav Ranjan Banerjee, in moulding the former’s career has been immense. It is well-depicted in the blockbuster movie ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’.
Banerjee was influential for Dhoni’s liking towards being a wicket-keeper after initially starting as a goal-keeper. Now, Banerjee has opened up about the probable reason for Dhoni’s decision to draw curtains to his international career.
“Of late, there has been a lot of criticism about him in the media that how he can return to international cricket as he’s not played a single match since the 2019 World Cup semifinal in July. I don’t know but it may have played a role in this decision. Only he (Dhoni) can throw some light into it,” Banerjee told PTI from his Ranchi residence.
At the fag-end of Dhoni’s 16-year-long journey in international cricket, the most successful finisher and captain produced by Indian cricket, was subjected to a lot of criticism.
Dhoni was often criticized for his slow batting approach in white-ball cricket especially during the games he failed to finish games.
Further, Banerjee claimed that Dhoni had another world-cup left in him. “Yes, I had said he could have played for one more year easily including the next T20 World Cup. And I still maintain that. Looking at his fitness level, he could have easily played. It’s not just my opinion but many others thought the same way,” he added.
“There is an end to everything. Yes, I’m heartbroken but, at the same time, you have to take control of your emotions,” Banerjee opined on an emotional note.
Furthermore, the cancellation of the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia did not help Dhoni’s cause either. The tournament, scheduled between October-November 2020, was deferred until 2022.
“He’s not the only sportsperson to be affected by the pandemic. All players are affected. It’s a hypothetical situation. T20 World Cup is postponed for now. He has made up his mind. It’s his decision. Like always this too was a surprise for all of us,” Banerjee concluded.
