"He can be 80, in a wheelchair, and he would still play for my team" - When AB de Villiers reacted to a debate on whether MS Dhoni should be dropped
Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is such a cult figure in world cricket that he just cannot stay away from the headlines. Even now, at 43, he is the news as fans are curious to know whether the cricket superstar will feature in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Hopes have been raised, with BCCI bringing back a scrapped rule as per which he can be considered 'uncapped'.
Dhoni and debate have often gone hand in hand. Back in 2018, experts and critics were divided over whether the former India captain should be dropped from the Indian team owing to poor form. The keeper-batter had been struggling for runs for a while and there was plenty of chat around his place in the team particularly over his strike rate.
South African legend AB De Villiers, however, vehemently backed Dhoni and made a rather exaggerated claim in praise of the Indian great. The former Proteas skipper said (as quoted by news agency ANI):
“You guys are funny. No, I would play MS Dhoni in my team every day of every year. He can be 80, in a wheelchair, and he would still play for my team. He is fantastic I mean look at his record. You want to drop a guy like that? You can go ahead by all means. I wouldn’t."
Dhoni played 20 one-day matches for the Men in Blue in 2018, scoring 275 runs at an average of 25 and a strike rate of 71.42, with a best of 42*.
Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020
Despite growing concerns over his batting form, the Indian selectors and team management continued to back Dhoni, keeping the 2019 ODI World Cup in mind. The veteran cricketer was picked as the first-choice keeper-batter for the ICC event held in England.
The seasoned stumper played nine matches for the Men in Blue in the 2019 World Cup, scoring 273 runs at an average of 45.50 and a strike rate of 87.78. The right-handed batter hit an unbeaten 56 off 61 balls against West Indies and made handy contributions in most of the other games.
In a heartbreak for the Indian cricket legend and his fans, he was run out for 50 off 72 balls in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand in Manchester as Martin Guptill produced a sensational direct hit. India went on to lose the knockout game by 18 runs in what turned out to be Dhoni's last outing for the nation. He announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020.