MS Dhoni had a horrid patch in international cricket before opting out of the West Indies tour. He has been facing criticism for his slow knocks and inability to finish matches which was his forte. Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes that the man himself has to evaluate where he stands at this point of his career.

Ganguly told India Today, “Every big player has to hang up his shoes. That's sport. Look at football, Maradona had to quit. There hasn't been a bigger player than him. Tendulkar, Lara, Bradman, everyone had to quit. This is the way system has been and will be. So this scenario will come for MS as well.”

“He is at that stage of his career where he has to evaluate where he stands. He has to decide if he can win matches for India. If he can continue to contribute like MS Dhoni, not someone else,” he added.

Ganguly made a valid point that with great players like MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, it happens that they are expected to perform like they did in their prime. It is not always possible to perform like it is your best. This pressure will certainly be there on Dhoni everytime he takes the field. Now it is upon him to decide whether he can deliver the goods or not.

“Because with players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, until they play, there will be expectations that they will play like in this way and win matches in this fashion. I think Dhoni has to make this decision. Only a player knows how much fuel is left in the tank and how much of his match-winning ability is intact,” the 47-year-old said.

Dhoni has not only been a major contributor with the bat but his strategies have been extremely crucial for the team for a long period of time. Whether he was the captain or not, his advice was always one to pay heed to. The Indian cricket team and the Indian fans will have to keep in mind the fact that no cricketer can play for his entire life and they have to think of cricket after Dhoni.

“Indian cricket will have to get used to the fact that MS Dhoni won't be playing forever and he won't be around for too long. But I believe this decision has to be taken by Dhoni himself,” Ganguly said.

(Source: India Today)