In what will be a huge disappointment for fans of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the wicketkeeper-batsman is very unlikely to commentate during India's first-ever day-night Test match, against Bangladesh, to be played at Eden Gardens from November 22.
This information was conveyed by a source within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to news agency PTI. "There is no way Dhoni can commentate," the person inside the Indian cricket board is noted as saying by the agency.
On Tuesday, news came out that BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has suggested to the host broadcasters that they should invite all living former Indian captains to have commentary stints during the historic occasion of the first-ever day-night Test in India, including MSD. Alas, it seems that that the legendary cricketer won't be part of the event.
This may be a big let-down for all those who are very keen to hear Dhoni analysing the game but it comes as no surprise to those who would have looked at the record of MSD's media interactions with a realistic bent of mind.
In his long and distinguished career, the former India captain hasn't been very accessible to the media. Early on in his career, he was happy to interact with the press but as he came to occupy the position of India captain, the 38-year old became more and more reclusive.
In the last few years, there have hardly been any interviews given by Dhoni. This, when combined with his impenetrable countenance, makes the task of figuring out his line of thinking and mind-set very hard. As time has gone on, the mystery and mystique of Dhoni have gained larger proportions.
Of late, the 2011 World Cup-winning captain has been out of action. He went on a sabbatical break after the 2019 Cricket World Cup and joined the Indian Army for training in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Even after that training was over, Dhoni has been out of action.
While he has been away, a passionate debate has raged on whether the former skipper needs to hang his boots. The selectors and the new president of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly have made it clear that the views of the legendary cricketer would be respected and he would be allowed to decide when he wants to call it a day.
In his absence, there is no information as to what Mahi is thinking. One of the reasons, perhaps, for Dhoni being unwilling to have a commentary stint during this match is his desire to avoid answering questions on this subject.
Even the social media accounts of MSD have been disappointingly quiet. There are no tweets or Instagram posts that have answered the questions fans have been anxiously asking. In his absence, Rishabh Pant has been given the gloves in the shorter formats of the game. The lack of success Pant has had keeps the fans awaiting Dhoni's return in time for next year's World T20.
For the moment, the wait for a clarification from the former captain is likely to continue.
