MS Dhoni’s illustrious international career appears to be over after he was omitted from the India squad to face Bangladesh in the forthcoming T20I series.
The legendary wicket-keeper batsman has not played for India since they were beaten in the final of the World Cup by New Zealand at Old Trafford, Manchester in June, choosing to miss the tour of the West Indies in favour of serving a period of duty with his Territorial Army regiment.
The 38 year old has not formally announced his retirement from cricket, or, indeed whether he intends to return to domestic cricket, choosing to remain tight-lipped whilst the speculation over his future swirls.
Dhoni has already retired from test cricket, with his last game in that format being the drawn test with Australia in Melbourne, at the end of December 2014. He played 90 tests for India, scoring nearly 4,900 runs at an average of 38.09, scoring 6 hundreds and a further 33 half-centuries, with a highest score of 224, scored against Australia in 2013. Behind the stumps he took 256 catches, and 38 stumpings.
A brilliant one day player, he featured for India in 350 one-day internationals and 98 T20s.
Dhoni captained India in all formats of the game, enjoying great success, particularly in one day cricket between 2007 and 2017, leading his side to success in the 2007 World Twenty20, 2011 50-over World Cup in India and 2013 Champions Trophy.
If his international career is now finished, he will retire as the most successful captain in all three formats in Indian cricket history.
In terms of one day cricket, he has been a highly effective middle order batsman in ODIs, scoring 10,773 runs with 10 centuries to his name, although, in recent years, he has struggled for the form he showed at the height of his considerable powers.
He also holds the world record for the highest number of stumpings by any wicket-keeper, a testament to the quickness of his movement, and ability to see opportunities behind the wicket.
Now though it seems that the curtain has been finally pulled down on his international career, with chairman of India’s selectors MSK Prasad saying that the team are now “moving on” from the era of Dhoni.
With the focus now on giving opportunities to younger talent only, that means Risbabh Pant is the man who will get to don the wicket-keeper gloves in ODIs and T20s. He will also compete with current incumbent Wriddiham Saha for who stands behind the stumps for India in test matches.
