MS Dhoni has all but ruled out a job in the commentary box with the microphone, as he highlighted how difficult the job is and that he is not good with stats.

Since retiring in 2020, the 44-year-old, who captained India to three ICC titles, has seldom spoken his opinions on matters about the game. His involvement in cricket is currently restricted to his Chennai Super Kings IPL matches.

"Commentary is very difficult. I feel there is a very fine line between describing the game and, in that process, getting into a zone where you start criticizing individuals who are playing the game. It's a very thin line. Often, you don't even feel that what you are doing may be borderline wrong. You would always like to be on the other side, where you are describing the game. If you feel something is wrong, you say it out.

But how to put it—that is also an art—how to politely put it forward where nobody feels targeted... If the team is losing, there are reasons behind it, and you need to have the skill of describing those reasons without anybody feeling bad. That is the art of commentary," Dhoni told sports broadcaster Jatin Sapru during an interaction.

Aside from the delicate nature of the job, Dhoni feels that not being able to memorize stats, even his own, puts him at a disadvantage.

"I'm not good with stats...but there are a lot of people who are very good with stats. They know stats...If you ask me about my stats, I'll be like, "hmmm," and there are certain people who know stats about not just the Indian cricket team or the Indian players but everyone throughout the era," he said.

Dhoni was also asked whether he had ever needed advice on cricket and life. The wicketkeeper-batter said he has rarely had to ask for it because of his habit of listening intently.

"I'm a very good listener. Yes, I do speak with people whom I'm comfortable with. But I'm more of a listener than a speaker. And if I don't know about the topic, I don't speak much because I will be absorbing more if I'm listening.

I never feel that urge to contribute if I don't know...being a good listener, you don't always have to look for advice... They keep floating around just with certain people with whom you are having a conversation with. You need to have that intelligence to figure out what works the best for you," he added.

But with a wide grin, he admitted that he still hasn't become any better at answering the phone.

"I'm not good at that way of communicating. I like to sit across and speak to people. I'm not someone who's very good over the phone because I can't see a face. So, I'm a very awkward guy when it comes to speaking on the phone. So that's something I want to improve, but I'm glad I haven't improved. You know, when mobile phones came, it was for the benefit of the people who owned the phone. Now your mobile phone is for my benefit," he said.