Is it right for MS Dhoni to pull a Sachin Tendulkar at the twilight of his career?
The greatest discovery a man can get bestowed with is knowing his limits. While brevity is regarded as the soul of wit, the longevity of a person’s action typifies his prowess and greatness.
Cricket is one such sport where thousands of people give their sweat and blood in a hope that one day he could represent his national team. Unfortunately, over the history of the gentleman’s game there have been only a few cricketers who have attained legendary status.
But towards the fag end of their career, such players are requested to be rested from certain series. Now this situation can be looked at from two possible angles.
On one hand, players who represented the country for a long time deserved to be treated with respect. On the flip side, they took advantage of their consistent performances and position in the team by opting out of the series citing personal reasons.
This essentially results in the team not having a settled combination. However, the selection committee has the option to try out new players and build a new team. The absence of big names would provide opportunities for youngsters to cement their place in the side.
Two of India's greatest ODI batsmen - Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni took a break from international cricket due to personal reasons.
In this article we talk about the reasons for their absence and whether that liberty should be given to legendary cricketers.
Master’s first double and the wait after that
On the evening of 24 February in the second ODI against South Africa at Gwalior, Sachin Tendulkar became the first cricketer to score an ODI double century.
It was truly a memorable knock and the wide array of shots that he played made everyone gape at him in awe. As the fans were hoping that he would continue his rich vein of form, out came the news that shook every Tendulkar fan.
He was rested in the third ODI at Ahmedabad. But the rest soon turned into a break of 10 long months. The selectors rested him for the Asia Cup, Triangular series in Sri Lanka and the home series against Australia and New Zealand. Tendulkar cited the reason that he wanted to spend time with his family. During the break, Tendulkar went on to miss five series comprising of 17 matches.
His comeback in the ODI series against South Africa in 2011 was also cut short with a hamstring injury in the second match which ruled him out of the rest of the series.
Dhoni’s hope to millions of Indian fans and his new avatar
Chasing 240 in the semi-finals of the ICC World Cup against New Zealand, the Indian top order was dismantled with the team reeling at 24/4. It was the eighth-wicket partnership between Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja that brought India back into the game. Once Jadeja departed, the whole world knew that only Dhoni could take the team home. Unfortunately, that was not to be.
As he was trying to make the second run in the third ball of the 49th over, Martin Guptill’s direct hit caught MSD inches short of his crease. Dreams were shattered, and the entire nation came to a standstill.
The Indian team had regrouped and went to play a series in the West Indies in July. However, Dhoni voluntarily opted out, stating that he wanted to serve in the Indian Army.
Dhoni's absence brought Rishabh Pant to the limelight.
The Indian team had a remarkable campaign by winning the Test, ODI, and T20I series. But Dhoni was a notable absentee.
He subsequently went on to announce that he would not be available for the home series against South Africa, Vijay Hazare Trophy and T20 series against Bangladesh.
Let’s debate
Looking at the decisions taken by these two iconic cricketers, is it right on Dhoni’s part to take a break at this juncture? The granting of the iconic status to some cricketers has sort of proven to be a stigma in Indian cricket.
While the mystery of Dhoni’s decisions continues to cast a lot of doubt, his form with the willow is slowly starting to ebb away.
Time and again Dhoni has struggled in the recent past by conceding a lot of dot balls and not converting his starts.
Dhoni has been a humble servant of the Indian cricket team over the last 15 years. He has won every possible accolade that one could aspire for.
Because of his patchy form with the bat, the time has now come for Dhoni to introspect his role and place in the team.
When an iconic cricketer decides to hang up his boots, he must do so at his own terms and not by selectors dropping him due to age and diminishing form.
Consider the case of Sachin Tendulkar. The selectors were reluctant to drop him because of his stature.
Though it seemed like Tendulkar retired on his terms, it was the BCCI that showed him the door in the most compassionate manner.
Now the same situation is staring at Dhoni. It is evident that he has struggled to find his form off late and it is no secret. Given his stature, persona and invaluable contribution to the Indian cricket, there is no one who can question his credentials and place in place in the team.
But as of now, one thing stands. When Dhoni decides or is allowed to don the Indian jersey again, the occasion is going to mark a loud frenzy and inexplicable joy among his ardent fans.
Till then the question remains.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of Sportskeeda.