As Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought down curtains to his glorious international career for India, VVS Laxman lauded his ex Test teammate, saying he will cherish all the memories he has of playing alongside the man for India.
Dhoni, who hadn't featured in competitive cricket since the last year's World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand, formally announced his retirement from international cricket on the Independence Day.
The 39-year-old wicketkeeper batsman played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, 98 T20Is, including captaining the side to glory in three major titles - 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 50-over World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy.
"It has been a truly remarkable cricketing career. He has shown all the abilities of a cricketer with such consistency at the highest level," Sportstar quoted Laxman as saying on Dhoni.
“What I really admired about him is that he was not only one of the all-time greats of world cricket, but also a proven match-winner."
"The other great aspect of Dhoni is that he led India with equanimity and distinction. That is the rich legacy he should be leaving," he added.
Laxman, once an integral part of Dhoni-led Indian side that reached the No.1 spot in ICC Test rankings, further heaped praise on his ex captain for ensuring that Indian cricket never stagnated under his leadership.
"One of the reasons why India is on top of the cricketing world right now is he (Dhoni) facilitated a smooth transition with his amazing leadership qualities."
"He is a truly remarkable cricketer who played a lead role in the growth of Indian cricket, and the 2007 T20 (Twenty20) World Cup and the 2011 ICC (One-Day International) World Cup title triumphs along with the 2013 Champions Trophy win should rank as some of the great moments of not just his career, but also for Indian cricket."
"Personally, I have had some great memories with him in the dressing room because we had great respect for each other. It was a memorable partnership with him. I always cherish some of the great memories with him," Laxman added.
