MS Dhoni made his official retirement announcement on August 15, 2020, but the truth is that in his heart, he had already walked away from international cricket on the day India suffered defeat in the 2019 World Cup semifinal.
Although MS Dhoni formally declared his retirement on August 15, 2020, for those who witnessed the fateful day of India’s World Cup semifinal loss to New Zealand at the Old Trafford Cricket Stadium in Manchester on July 10, 2019, it was evident that the time had come. As he made that long walk back to the changing room, with his head down, the entire media box held its breath and applauded the legendary cricketer. It was clear that this marked the end of Dhoni’s journey in Indian cricket. In a dramatic conclusion to his illustrious career, Dhoni, renowned for his finishing prowess, fell short, getting out for 50. His cricketing journey, which began 15 years earlier with a run-out, concluded in a similar fashion, leaving many Indian cricket fans grappling with heartbreak.
Over the subsequent 13 months, Dhoni gradually faded from the cricketing scene. He was absent from India’s squads for the West Indies tour and the bilateral series against South Africa and Sri Lanka at home. Although he was initially scheduled to participate in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings, the tournament’s rescheduling to start in September due to the Covid-19 pandemic delayed his return. With the entire nation anxiously waiting to see if another season with CSK would lead to his return to the Indian team, Dhoni eventually revealed his retirement on Independence Day. However, in his heart, he had already made the decision to step away from international cricket after India’s World Cup exit.
“It’s hard to control your emotions when you lose a closely contested game. Deep down, I had made up my mind. For me, that day was my last day playing cricket for India. I formally retired a year later, but in reality, I had retired on that day. We cricketers are given certain equipment, and every time I returned it to the trainer, he would say, ‘You can keep it.’ In my mind, I was thinking, ‘How do I tell him that I won’t be needing or using it anymore?’ I didn’t want to make the announcement at that moment,” Dhoni revealed during an event.
Retirements are never easy for cricketers, especially for those who have devoted their lives to the sport from a young age. Consequently, Dhoni’s realization took some time to fully sink in. India’s most celebrated white-ball captain, the only one in history to win all three major ICC tournaments within six years, had taken his final bow. While his cricketing genius would continue to shine in the IPL, his international career with India had come to an end.
“You are overwhelmed by emotions. Playing cricket is all you’ve done for the past 12-15 years. Then suddenly, there’s no chance of representing your country. Many aspire, but only a few have that opportunity. Sportspersons possess that. Regardless of the sport you play, you are representing your nation, be it at the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics. So, once I retired from cricket, I could no longer do that. I could no longer bring glory. These thoughts were running through my mind,” Dhoni reflected.
