Former Team India batsman and chief selector, Sandeep Patil has assured the fans of MS Dhoni that he is not retiring from international cricket as of now.
The retirement of MS Dhoni has been doing rounds in the social media. He was quite ordinary with the bat during the recently concluded limited-overs series against England. All and sundry criticised him for his unusually slow batting in two crucial matches.
Even a video of him collecting the match ball after the final ODI started doing rounds. People had presumed that Dhoni would call it a day. However, the head coach Ravi Shastri clarified it had nothing to do with his retirement.
MS Dhoni never looked in any rhythm during the limited-overs series. The right-hander kept the required rate mount and eventually it led to India’s loss in two consecutive games.
Sandeep Patil’s Assurance
“I can assure all his fans that he is not retiring as of now,” he wrote in his column for the Quint.
Patil was the chief selector when Dhoni was the captain of the team. Patil further stated he shares an excellent relationship with MS and he is a good friend. Patil assured Dhoni won’t retire given the 2019 World Cup is just 11 months away.
“I have known him very closely for the last 14 years. It’s a privilege to have seen him when he was just starting his career. I have worked with him as an India A coach and as a chief selector, and he happens to be a very dear friend of mine now,” he further added.
Sandeep Patil further highlighted Dhoni’s immense contribution to Indian cricket as a wicket-keeper. The current chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had said Dhoni doesn’t have a competitor as of yet. He is a clean pick as a wicket-keeper unless an injury.
“Many people may not agree with me, but I will still pick Dhoni as the first choice wicket-keeper for the World Cup next year. The reason simply is that in the shorter format of the game, Dhoni’s ability behind the stumps is of far more importance than his match-finishing skills,” he added.
