On 30th December 2014, during a down-under series, an entire nation was caught off-guard when MS Dhoni announced his retirement from the longest format with one test in Adelaide still left.
This news came barely hours after the Indian great was drawn in the third test against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While the formal news came after the third Test match ended, all-rounder Akshar stated that former head coach Ravi Shastri had informed the Indian cricket squad that Dhoni will be retiring from red-ball cricket after the MCG match.
In conversation with Gaurav Kapur on his famous YouTube Show Breakfast with Champions, Patel revealed how the dressing room atmosphere shifted when Shastri gathered all the players for a meeting during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne further revealing that another Indian legend Suresh Raina was moved to tears by this announcement.
"He announced it the next day itself, on the evening of the second day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The atmosphere had changed. Everyone was quiet and Ravi (Shastri) bhai called for a meeting. 'Everybody… we have to make an announcement. Mahi is retiring'. (Suresh) Raina started crying. I was like 'What just happened? Everyone around me was tearing up. I was in another world, 'What just happened? What is going on?'”
In 2020, Dhoni surprised cricket fans all around the world by announcing his retirement from the limited-overs format. In 2007, he led India to victory in the T20I World Cup, the 50-over World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013.
The left-arm spinner further added, "I didn't even know what to say. It was the first time I was meeting Mahi bhai. But before I said anything, he only said: 'Bapu (Axar's nickname… you arrived and made me leave? I was like 'what did I do?'. Then I teared up… I just arrived and he is leaving. He said that he’s just joking and then hugged me".
MSD is currently playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In five matches, CSK has won once.
(TIMES NOW INPUTS)
