Farewell match for MS Dhoni being considered by BCCI

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren had called for a farewell match in Ranchi for Dhoni.

MS Dhoni retired from international cricket without much fanfare on August 15, 2020, by posting an emotional video on his Instagram account. Many of his fans and some former cricketers were shocked at this sudden announcement, but many knew it was coming.

Now the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering a farewell match for MS Dhoni in front of his home crowd after the IPL 2020. This was also demanded by Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, who urged the board to host a final match of Jharkhand’s local boy in Ranchi.

"There is no international series right now, maybe after IPL, we will see what can be done because Dhoni has done a lot for the nation and he deserves all the respect. We always wanted to have a farewell match for him but Dhoni is a different player. He announced his retirement when nobody was thinking of it," a BCCI official told IANS.

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Asked if they had any word with Dhoni as of yet, the official said, "No, but surely we will speak to him during the IPL and that would be the right place to get his opinion about a match or series. Well, there will be a proper felicitation ceremony for him no matter if he agrees on it or not. That will be our honor to felicitate him."

Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal also agreed with BCCI’s view of giving a proper farewell to the most successful Indian captain.

"I would be really happy if the BCCI hosts a match for Dhoni. He is a legendary player and you can't let him go just like that. His fans would want to see him again in action. IPL is happening in the UAE and everybody will be glued to their screens to watch him play. But the board can host a series in India too so that people can see him live in the stadium (obviously after this pandemic gets over),” Lal told IANS.

Dhoni led Team India to title victories in the ICC WT20 (2007), ICC World Cup (2011), and ICC Champions Trophy (2013). He had not played any competitive cricket since India’s exit from the 2019 World Cup after losing to New Zealand in the semi-final.

Dhoni, who is currently in Chennai, is all set to continue playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, starting from September 19.

(IANS inputs)