MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday (August 15), bringing down the curtain on a stellar career. The wicketkeeper-batsman disclosed his decision through an Instagram post.
Dhoni’s achievement as a cricketer is surreal, to say the least. He boasts more than 15000 international runs and has etched his name in the history books as one of India’s finest leaders.
Dhoni is the only skipper in the history of cricket to have won all the three ICC trophies – 2007 World T20, 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy. He has also led India to the pinnacle in Test cricket.
As the revered cricketer called time on his glittering career, wishes poured in for him from the cricketing fraternity. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar also penned a heartfelt tribute for his former captain.
“I hadn’t heard about him (MS Dhoni) until he got into the Indian team. I saw him for the first time in Bangladesh during a one-day tournament. I was having a discussion with Sourav (Ganguly) and told him that this guy has something special in him and has the ability to hit the ball. However, hitting the ball at first-class cricket level and hitting it at the international level are two different things,” Tendulkar wrote in a piece for The Indian Express.
“He had hit two boundaries in that match, and I told Sourav, “Dada, he has that jhatka (whip) in his hand which he uses while hitting the ball. It was something special to see.”
“It was his first outing with the Indian team. But the way he was hitting the ball, one could make out he was someone special.
“He has been quiet with me all throughout. I had heard many stories that he will not come and say hello. Many found him rude, but we broke that barrier. His behaviour was understandable. It happens when a player is new in the team, and takes some time to open up,” he added.
Further speaking on Dhoni’s qualities, Sachin said the 2011 World Cup-winning skipper ‘gave hope and showed nothing is impossible’.
“For me, MS gave hope and showed nothing is impossible. He was talented and talent is something that will find its way. If somebody is talented, nobody can stop him.
“The one quality I liked about him was his calmness. It’s something that helped him be so successful.
“It has been a fantastic journey, he had come from a small place and played 15 years for India. I wish him all the best after a fantastic career. I enjoyed all his innings, and to single out one innings will be hard for me,” he stated.
In the end, Tendulkar hailed Dhoni’s contribution to Indian cricket and congratulated him on a fantastic career.
“Whatever is going on in his mind and what he thinks about his body, only he knows. He knows it better than anybody else. I would much rather look at his contribution to Indian cricket, it has been immense. He has given joy to so many people around the globe and inspired so many youngsters to play this sport.”
“I would like to congratulate him on a fantastic career. I enjoyed playing with him,” he concluded.
