No discussion in Indian cricket is complete without the mention of MS Dhoni or where his future is headed. Ever since the World Cup has ended, the former Indian captain has been on a break and does not feature in India's ambitions as things stand right now. He is out of the Vijay Hazare trophy, which effectively rules him out of the T20I series against Bangladesh.
While the future remains uncertain, former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir is not satisfied with the way the board is handling the issue. Speaking on the sidelines of an event, Gambhir said: "I have always said that the decision to retire is anyone's personal call. I feel the selectors should talk to Dhoni and ask him about his plans because if you play for India, you cannot select the series you want to play."
No clarity over MS Dhoni's future
This statement comes on the back of reports that said Dhoni has given the selectors the time to groom his replacement by sitting out of the tour. His last match for India was the semi-final loss at the hands of New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup.
There have been plenty of debates and discussions around his immediate future and as such, his former teammate Yuvraj Singh said that Dhoni deserved to go out on his own terms.
"I think it's unfair to him. The guy (Dhoni) 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 Monday. "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," he added.
The selectors have already identified Rishabh Pant as one of the options going forward. However, the young man has not quite nailed down his spot owing to inconsistent performances in the recent past, which have prompted the management to look at Wriddhiman Saha for the upcoming series against South Africa.
Amid all this, MS Dhoni remains on a sabbatical while his future remains a constant source of speculation. Hence, there is merit in what Gautam Gambhir is saying as the selectors do need to speak with him and identify ways and means to phase him out.
