MSK Prasad, the chief selector of the Indian cricket team, has dropped hints that MS Dhoni might never play for India again. Dhoni has not been picked in the Indian T20I squad for the series against Bangladesh.
When MSK Prasad was asked if Dhoni would be retiring soon, he said that retiring or not retiring is Dhoni’s personal decision. He might want to retire or he might want to start playing domestic cricket to regain his form, the selection committee doesn’t have a say in that.
Prasad insisted that the selection committee has a vision about the Indian team going ahead and the way the Indian squad is being picked, the vision should be clear to everyone.
“We are moving on. We will continue to back the youngsters. Going into domestic cricket, getting his touch back or thoughts about retirement, everything is purely his personal [decision]. We’ve already laid the roadmap for the future, I’m sure you can see in the way we are selecting the teams.” Prasad was quoted saying when asked about Dhoni.
Rishabh Pant has been the first choice wicket-keeper of India in white ball cricket in the recent times and now Sanju Samson has been drafted into the T20I squad as well. There have been talks of Ishan Kishan being another wicket-keeper who is in the selectors’ plans. Dinesh Karthik is also making heaps of runs in domestic cricket.
So, the writing is almost on the wall for Dhoni. If the team is being selected according to the roadmap that has been laid (as stated by MSK Prasad), it clearly means Dhoni is nowhere on that roadmap.
MSK Prasad, however, didn’t mention anything about the conversation he had with the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Ganguly had said that he would talk to the selectors about Dhoni’s future.
