Yuvraj Singh on MS Dhoni retirement talk: You got to give him time
The debate over MS Dhoni's retirement refuses to end as the Indian wicket-keeper has been keeping everyone guessing ever since the World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand. Many former cricketers have expressed varying views on Dhoni's future, and Yuvraj Singh has become the latest to come up with a statement on the issue.
The World Cup-winning all-rounder opined that since Dhoni has done so much for Indian cricket he should be given the option to decide on his career.
“I think it’s unfair to him. The guy has done so much for Indian cricket. He has been the most successful Indian captain, so you got to give him time,” Yuvraj said on the sidelines of the The Sports Movement' summit in New Delhi.
“He needs to decide when he wants to go out. He needs to take that call. If he wants to still play, that’s his call and we need to respect that,” Yuvraj went on to add.
Before Yuvraj, India legend Sunil Gavaskar had stated to India Today that the time had come for Dhoni to go and that he should retire before being pushed out while Sourav Ganguly had opined that Dhoni must himself decide whether he is still good enough to win matches for India.
Yuvraj was also asked about Rishabh Pant, the young wicketkeeper-batsman struggling to fit into the big shoes of Dhoni. The former all-rounder, who announced his retirement recently, felt comparing the youngster with the legendary Dhoni would be unfair.
“MS Dhoni was not made in a day. It took a few years so it will take a few years for a replacement also. There is one year to go for the T20 World Cup so that is still a long time,” Yuvraj further stated.
“How they get the best out of Pant is completely based on his character. You have to understand his psychology and then work with that. If you are going to suppress him, you won’t get the best out of him," he went on to add about Pant.
Pant struggled in the T20 series against South Africa and had constantly threw his wicket away during the tour of West Indies.
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