Former India head coach Gary Kirsten has said no one should dictate MS Dhoni and people should let India star retire on his own terms.
MS Dhoni and Gary Kirsten led India to 2011 World Cup triumph. (Reuters Photo)
India’s World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten on Thursday said that MS Dhoni is amongst the greatest sportsmen in the modern era and he should be allowed to take a call on his retirment on his own terms.
On Wednesday, MS Dhoni’s wife Sakshi Singh rubbished rumours of the World Cup-winning captain’s retiring after #DhoniRetires was one of the top trends on Twitter. Dhoni has kept mum about his international future even as it has become a must-have in several cricket related discussions on social media. Notably, the 38-year-old had said last year to not ask questions about his future until January 2020. “January tak mat poocho,” Dhoni had said at a promotional event.
“MS (Dhoni) is an incredible cricketer. Intelligence, calmness, power, athleticism, speed and a match-winner separate him from others and puts him amongst the greatest sportsmen in the modern era,” Kirsten was quoted as saying by Timesofindia.com.
The duo of Dhoni and Kirsten inspired India to one of its finest sporting glories as the Men in Blue lifted the ICC World Cup in 2011.
“He (Dhoni) has earned the right to leave the game on his own terms and no one should dictate to him when that time is,” Gary Kirsten added.
“Playing was more challenging. I loved coaching the Indian team. It was one of the great privileges of my life,” Kirsten further said.
Speculations over MS Dhoni’s international future have been rife ever since the former India captain took a sabbatical from competitive cricket after the 2019 World Cup. Dhoni has not played international cricket since India’s defeat to New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup. Dhoni missed several series in the home season of 2019 and also missed the high-profile tour of New Zealand earlier this year.
