Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s future in the national team set-up has been a topic of speculation since India’s semifinal exit in the cricket World Cup.
While Dhoni himself has been on a break and hasn’t spoken on the topic as yet, some former cricketers have already spoken about the need to look beyond him.
So when India coach Ravi Shastri was asked about the team’s view on Dhoni’s possible return to the team, the 57-year-old simply threw the ball back into the wicketkeeper’s court.
“He will go down as one of our greatest players, very, very high up the list. Whether he wants to come back, that’s for him to decide. I have not met him after the World Cup,” Shastri told The Hindu.
Shastri further added: “He has to first start playing and let’s see how things go. I don’t think he has started playing after the World Cup. If he is keen, he will definitely let the selectors know.”
As things stand now, Dhoni was unavailable for selection for the T20Is against South Africa and BCCI sources have hinted that the former India skipper is unlikely to feature in the T20Is against Bangladesh as well.
Scroll has produced award-winning journalism despite violent threats, falling ad revenues and rising costs. Support our work. Become a member today.
In these volatile times, Scroll remains steadfastly courageous, nuanced and comprehensive. Become a Scroll Member and support our award-winning reportage, commentary and culture writing.